Happy Birthday, America

I was born by God's dear Grace in an extraordinary place.  Happy Birthday to that place.

I pledge allegiance to that flag, and if that bothers you, well that's too bad.

But if you have pride and you're proud you do, we could use a some more like me and you. Glen Filthie, this means you.  You're already half way thrown out of your current place.  The air smells of freedom here ...

Aaron Tippin: Where The Stars And Stripes And The Eagle Fly

Well, if you ask me where I come from
Here's what I tell everyone
I was born by God's dear grace
In an extraordinary place
Where the stars and stripes and the eagle fly

It's a big ol' land with countless dreams
Happiness ain't out of reach
Hard work pays off the way it should
Yeah, I've seen enough to know that we've got it good
Where the stars and stripes and the eagle fly

There's a lady that stands in a harbor for what we believe
And there's a bell that still echoes the price that it cost to be free

I pledge allegiance to this flag
And if that bothers you, well, that's too bad
But if you got pride and you're proud you do
Hey, we could use some more like me and you
Where the stars and stripes and the eagle fly

Yes, there's a lady that stands in a harbor for what we believe
And there's a bell that still echoes the price that it cost to be free

No, it ain't the only place on earth
But it's the only place that I prefer
To love my wife and raise my kids
Hey, the same way that my daddy did
Where the stars and stripes and the eagle fly
Where the stars and stripes and the eagle fly 

This song sums up the current Cold Civil War here on the shores of the New World*.  It also sums up the increasing Cold War between Western Europe** and the USA under the Trump Administration.  It's a fundamental disconnect between world views - us vs. them***.

All I can say is that God spared Donald Trump last summer for a purpose.  That statement probably bothers some people.

Well, that's too bad****. 

* I only use the term to bother the Usual Suspects.

** Ibid 

*** Well, except for the European oppressed political minorities, like the AfD, Marine Le Pen, Tommy Robinson, et al.

**** Damn, this has turned into a rant.  I guess that calls for a clarification.  Maybe it's not a rant, it's a desire for a Reckoning: 

The World is a strange place

Not just stranger than you think, but stranger than you can imagine. 

A few years back, The Queen Of The World and I rev'ed up the Harley and road to Morgantown, WV for Mountainfest.  We had a blast - it was a great ride through spectacular scenery, the HOG folks were (as always) a hoot in a holler at the 'fest, and the concert was headlined by Alabama, playing "Mountain Music" and "Country Roads".

As you can imagine, it wasn't a concert, it was a sing-along.  

Well knock me over with a feather - it seems that "Country Roads" is a mandatory song at Oktoberfest in Germany, and everybody sings along.  Don't believe me?

Reminds me a bit of the bikers in Morgantown.  Found through a link from here, which includes this suggested rewrite of the lyrics for a German audience:

Almost Heaven
Schleswig-Holstein
Kaiser Wilhelm
Lederhosen fashions!

Life is Old there,
Older than the Zee!
Younger than the mountains
in Southern Germany.

Autobahn
Take me on
To the Place
to Goosestep On.
Western Poland
into Russia
Take me On
Autobahn
I hear his voice, in the morning hour he heils me.
Der radio reminds me of my oath of loy-al-ty
And drivin’ on to Moscow, I get feelin’
Shoulda been retreatin’
yes-ter DAY!
Yes-ter DAY!

Autobahn…

Whatever you do, don't mention the War.  I did once, but I think I got away with it.

Even weirder, it seems that the old Tennessee Ernie Ford "Sixteen Tons" is hugely popular in Russia.  Here is the Red Army Chorus (or whatever they're called now) doing a credible version of this from a couple decades back:

I like this version.  His voice is in a lower register than Ford's was, and that's saying a lot.  But Russian music has always had a bigger dynamic range than western music.  This just keeps that tradition alive.

Vandals cut down most famous tree in UK

This tree:

Voted Tree of the Year in 2016 by the conservation charity Woodland Trust, the Sycamore Gap Tree was one of the most photographed trees in the United Kingdom. It’s also known as the “Robin Hood Tree” because it appeared in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, despite Hadrian’s Wall being some 130 miles north of Sherwood Forest.

According to the National Trust, this iconic sycamore tree was planted in the late 1800s by John Clayton, the saviour of Hadrian’s Wall, to be a feature in the landscape. 

So why would someone cut it down?  Tik-tok views:

Why would anyone do this? A question we are all confused over. Police officers are looking into claims that the tree was felled to be posted online and carried out as part of a TikTok stunt

Dumbass Tik-tockers.  Hang em.  From a tree.  As a warning to others.

Liane Edwards and the Dust Raisers - Homewrecker

It's a long way from Indian Trail, North Carolina to Varetz, France -  but Country Music is a thread that joins them.  

Leigh Ann Abernethy started singing in the Indian Trail Baptist Church in the 1970s.  After she graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in French, she headed across the Pond and settled down there as Liane Edwards.  She's been singing with the Dust Raisers for 30 years, writing a bunch of her own music.  She was voted Songwriter of the Year in 2017 in the French Country Highway Awards.

But even though across the sea we find that while you can take the girl out of Carolina, you can't take the Carolina out of the girl.  This song only has 463 views on Youtube which is a crying shame.  It's the real deal.  Formidable!

Good stuff.  Like I said, this is the real deal.  Or as her web site puts it (en francais), Liane Edwards est un shot de whiskey dans un monde de Coca.  Endorsed.

Liam Kelly - Working Man Blues

This week is St. Patrick's Day when everyone is Irish.  Interestingly, the ever-musical Irish have a flair for Country music so this is a bit of a two way street.  The Irish mania for Country music is best seen on Glór Tíre, one of the most watched Irish TV shows - sort of a Country music American Idol from Ireland; if it were any more awesome it would collapse into a black hole of awesome.

Country music - it's as America as Corned Beef and Cabbage ...

Liam Kelly won Glór Tíre in 2015.  This is a Merle Haggard, toe-tapping Country song.  Enjoy!

Workin' Man Blues (Songwriter: Merle Haggard)

It's a big job just gettin' by with nine kids and a wife
I been a workin' man dang near all my life
I'll be working long as my two hands are fit to use
I'll drink my beer in a tavern,
Sing a little bit of these working man blues

I keep my nose on the grindstone, I work hard every day
Might get a little tired on the weekend, after I draw my pay
But I'll go back workin, come Monday morning I'm right back with the crew
I'll drink a little beer that evening,
Sing a little bit of these working man blues

Hey hey, the working man, the working man like me
I ain't never been on welfare, that's one place I won't be
Cause I'll be working long as my two hands are fit to use
I drink a little beer in a tavern
Sing a little bit of these working man blues

Sometimes I think about leaving, do a little bummin around
I wanna throw my bills out the window catch a train to another town
But I go back working I gotta buy my kids a brand new pair of shoes
Yeah drink a little beer in a tavern,
Cry a little bit of these working man blues

Hey hey, the working man, the working man like me
I ain't never been on welfare, that's one place I won't be
Cause I'll be working long as my two hands are fit to use
I drink a little beer in a tavern
Sing a little bit of these working man blues
Yeah drink a little beer in a tavern,
Cry a little bit of these working man blues

Yoko Windsor

It's funny because it's true.

The TV was on and the (ex?) Royal couple came on.  The Queen Of The World coined the nickname in the post title.  I laughed for ten minutes.

The Shires - Nashville Grey Skies

Nashville attracts dreams from all over; in this case, from Hertfordshire in England.  Alas, the country music of our day is pop infused, but this one is pretty good despite that, an upbeat, catchy tune that sings about hope and dreams.  It's about their hope of building a country music scene in England's Green and Pleasant Land.  That may be a bit of a tall order, but what's country music without big dreams?

But perhaps there's hope for them - this was on their debut album in 2014 which was the first UK country album to peak in the top 10 on the UK Albums Chart.  Quite frankly, it's pretty easy to like - both the music and the attitude.  And they're currently touring with Carrie Underwood which can't hurt their career.

Dream big.



Nashville Grey Skies (Songwriter: )

Well, they'll say it's way too cold for cut-off jeans
And they won't be drinking moonshine but G&Ts
They'll be, country boys at heart
Dancing with sweet, country girls all night

We can build our own Nashville
Underneath these grey skies
And people will come, they'll come from far and wide
They'll leave their village greens and their big cities behind
We can build our own Nashville
It's about time

Won't get that Southern sun, we'll be dancing in the rain
Every single night, we'll do it again and again
All those, country girls at heart
Kissing those, country boys in the dark

We can build our own Nashville
Underneath these grey skies
And people will come, they'll come from far and wide
They'll leave their village greens and their big cities behind
We can build our own Nashville
It's about time
It's about time
It's about time

We can build our own Nashville
Underneath these grey skies
People will come from far and wide
They'll be dancing in the rain
People will come, they'll come from far and wide
(Far and wide, far and wide)
They'll leave their village greens and their big cities behind
We can build our own Nashville
It's about time
It's about time

How do you say "This vehicle protected by Smith & Wesson" auf Deutsche?

A post from ten years ago:

From Adventures in Deutschland:

We saw this on our way out of town Saturday. On a Texas highway, I would not have even looked twice. On a German side road, my jaw dropped. So many things about this vehicle screamed mis-placement to us but none more-so than the bumper sticker, "This vehicle protected by Smith & Wesson". Nice.

There's a picture, too. As Lissa would say, "That's a Big Ol' truck!"

Badass of the week

This dude drove off an attacking bear by biting off its tongue:

According to Russian truth orifice RT, Nikolay Irgit was collecting shed antlers in the Tuva region with a couple of mates. 

The deer and moose remains, RT said, can fetch a tidy sum on black markets for their alleged medicinal properties and to make furniture. 

You need a licence to scavenge them – which Irgit and company did not have so the gang were likely hoping for a quick and painless trip. 

They set up camp, cooked some grub, sang Ging Gang Goolie then split up. 

The gods were not smiling upon Irgit, it seems, as he soon met a brown bear – one of the largest carnivores second only to its cousin, the polar bear. 

Scared, Irgit screamed at the beast, hoping it would scarper. Instead it charged the lad, chomping down on his head and also injuring his hands and stomach. 

At this point, chances of survival are drastically waning and yet our heroic antler thief prevailed. 

The police report said that as the bear had its teeth locked round his skull, Irgit "managed to bite the bear's tongue off, after which the bear was frightened and ran away".

Woah.  Sadly, Our Hero is being prosecuted for collecting antlers without a license.

Nathan Carter - Temple Bar

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, which calls for Irish music.  Interestingly, Ireland has a pretty thriving country music scene, one where American country themes are mixed with Irish ones called (sensibly enough) "Country and Irish".  There's even a television show called Opry an Iúir.  It's an interesting mix, not exactly country and not really traditional Irish.  It seems like a good choice for the Feast of Patrick.

Nathan Carter is one of the biggest stars of this scene.  This song is from his 2016 album, Stayin' Up All Night.



Temple Bar (Songwriters)

There's a busker playin' on the street
Watching all the people meet
The boys and girls are back in Dublin town
There's young ones there from everywhere
From America to God knows where
It's just another night in Temple Bar 

So come on down, out on the town
Cause' this is where a good time can be found
So bring along the old squeeze box, the fiddle and guitar
Let's have a good old night in Temple Bar 

There's a stag do here from Liverpool
Chasing hens and on the boat
Old Barney's lashing out the 'Rare Auld Times'
Ah the Glasgow girls are on the floor
And a round of shots have just been poured
It's another crazy night in Temple Bar 

So come on down, out on the town
Cause' this is where a good time can be found
So bring along the old squeeze box, the fiddle and guitar
Let's have a good old night in Temple Bar 

There is no better place to be than this old town tonight
Nobody's going home till' they turn out the lights 

So come on down, out on the town
Cause' this is where a good time can be found
So bring along the old squeeze box, the fiddle and guitar
Let's have a good old night in Temple Bar 

So come on down, out on the town
Cause' this is where a good time can be found
So bring along the old squeeze box, the fiddle and guitar
Let's have a good old night in Temple Bar
Let's have a good old night in Temple Bar 

There's a busker playing on the street
Watching all the people meet

Americans don't have a lock on the term "Redneck"

Europe has a thriving redneck community.  Sometime last week, the Queen Of The World and I were out where the TV was tuned to the "Sidecarcross" championships.  Think Motocross with sidecars attached.  It's a two man event and what looks to be as close as you can get these days to the chariot race scene from Ben Hur.



The only way this could be cooler was if the wheels had rotating knives attached.

While this sport is done all over the world, it's more popular in Europe and really popular in Eastern Europe - where the world championships are held.  The ones we watched were from Estonia.

American Rednecks, y'all need to up your game.  Maybe Pickuptruckcross with sidecars?

All quiet on the Western Front, 2018 edition

So far, at least.

The New Year's celebration has already begun in Europe (heck, it's already over in Asia).  Cologne has been much in the news for large scale sexual assaults at these events.  There's another such party in that fair Stadt going on right now.

Interestingly, German biker gangs have been mobilizing.  This hasn't been publicized much, and any exuberant "discussions" tonight likely won't be either, as the Press desperately tries to keep all Unapproved® opinions locked firmly in the pressure cooker.  Smart strategy, that.

The question remains: what happens if a significant portion of the population decides that the State will no longer enforce justice impartially, but rather favor particular groups?  Will we see the return to the days of the Hatsfields and McCoys, of the Montagues and the Capulets?  Have we already seen the return to those days?  And is Germany still able to go from zero to jackboots in 5 years?

May you all have a happy and peaceful New Year's celebration.

The French people bring the French government to its knees

France has been burning, with riots over pretty much the whole country and hundreds of people injured and/or arrested.  The trigger for all of this was a big gasoline tax increase - ostensibly to control "climate change" but really just another big ol' tax on the working population by the limousine liberals.

And so the country went up in flames as tens of thousands of citizens threw up barricades on the Champs-Elysées.  Seriously:

Un stand-mobile de restauration finit de carboniser au milieu des Champs-Elysées. #GilestJaunes pic.twitter.com/v3Col3owTJ

— Vincent Serrano (@Vincent_Serrano) November 24, 2018

The protesters all wear yellow safety jackets, which in the last year or two were made mandatory for all drivers.  That was just one of many petty tyrannies that seem to have led up to the current explosion.  There are a LOT of protesters in yellow jackets:

All in all, 36,000 people are protesting across France, and over 5,000 in Paris alone.

Well the French government just blinked:

Fuel tax rises which had led to weeks of violent protests in France have been suspended for six months.

PM Edouard Philippe said that people's anger must be heard, and the measures would not be applied until there had been proper debate with those affected.

The protests have hit major French cities, causing considerable damage for the past three weekends.

The "gilets jaunes" (yellow vest) protests have now grown to reflect more widespread anger at the government.

Three people have died since the unrest began and the resulting violence and vandalism - notably when statues were smashed at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris last Saturday - have been widely condemned.

"Yellow vests" are so called because they have taken to the streets wearing the high-visibility yellow clothing that is required to be carried in every vehicle by French law.

As the Lefties like to say, I guess that this is what Democracy looks like.  Remember, Donald Trump was not a cause, he is a symptom of a reaction to an increasingly aloof and disconnected ruling class. That reaction isn't limited to the United States by any means.

UPDATE 4 December 2018 11:21: It looks like this isn't enough to stop the protests.  At this point you have to start wondering if Macron's government can survive.

And this would have made Dad laugh (he was a Professor of French History):

pic.twitter.com/Jdg03kW0C4

— Sal the Agorist (@SallyMayweather) December 4, 2018

Good news and bad news for Harley-Davidson

It looks like the EU is working on dropping most tariffs - and since these added something like four grand to the cost of a hog sold there, this is good news for HOG.  More good news for Harley is that this may even mean that Trump's tariffs on imported EU steel will go down or away, letting them lower prices or solidifying the bottom line.

The bad news is that the Harley buying demographic is getting even older.  Kids these days aren't saddling up like they did in the past.  Dr. Jim has a bunch of reasons why.  This is my favorite:

You have to shift manually and use something called a clutch.

It's funny because it's true.

Man with a knife, hollering "Allahu Akbar" drives into a crowd of bikers

Hilarity Exactly what you'd expect breaks out:

On Saturday almost 1,500 motorcyclists gathered in Aix-en-Provence in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, protesting against the speed limit of 80 kmh [50mph]. Around 5 pm one of the drivers, irritated by the blockage of the road by the demonstration, couldn’t stand it any more and, swinging a knife through the open window, he plowed his car into the rallying motorcyclists. Some of the witnesses testified that he was shouting “Allahu Akhbar”.

Ah, France.  Blocking roads has become an art form.  Or an entertainment.  Or both.

Two of the motorcyclists were wounded: one in the hand and the other in the arm. Both were hospitalized. However, the angry crowd turned on the car, and with the help of helmets and rocks they began to destroy it. The driver and the passengers, however, managed to break free and avoid lynching.

It may be France, but these are bikers.  Click through to enjoy the video of, well, bikers reacting exactly how you think they'd react.  I'm actually surprised at how many of them used their helmets to hammer the car - good helmets aren't cheap, and once you give it a thwack like that, it's off to the Helmet Shoppe for you.

File this under a major failure of the victim selection process.

Country Music is alive and well in Ireland

I don't post much recent Country Music because is American Country Music isn't dead, it's coughing up blood.  It sounds the same: banjo accompanied pop music with lead singers who look like models. It's bland and packaged and boring, and so I don't post much of it.

But Country Music is alive and well in Ireland.  This is a TV show that aired just 3 years ago, one with music that would have been familiar here in the '80s or '90s, sung by people who look, well, like normal people.  It's the opposite of packaged country-pop, and is refreshing as a mint julep on a hot May afternoon.



Today is the feast of St. Patrick.  Here's one more thing to be grateful for the Emerald Isle.  They saved civilization once; it shouldn't be too hard for them to save Country Music.

George McAnthony - He's Tasting Freedom

You've heard of Spaghetti Westerns, right?  Today is Spaghetti Country & Western.  George McAnthony was an Italian singer/songwriter and two time winner of the European Country Music Association.  His story is one that will be pretty exotic for readers on this side of the Pond.

McAnthony was born in the Italian city of Eppan an der Weinstraße, part of Italy that was annexed from Austria at the end of World War I.  He performed a country music One Man Band, playing seven instruments at the same time.  A songwriter, he recorded 14 albums, and while 3 were recorded in Nashville, he spent most of his time in the Old World.  He wrote today's song while on holiday on the island of Sardinia.

Over on these shores, we almost never hear about what is a thriving country music scene overseas.  McAnthony was a pretty big deal on European radio and TV, and even did a duet with John Denver.  His untimely death in 2011 at the age of 45 is a shame.

The quality of the sound in this video is a little off, but you will get the sense of Country Music's universal themes.



He's Tasting Freedom (Songwriter: George McAnthony)

Drive away on a pick up truck
Mountain trip, don't get stuck
Riding through the wide prairie
He's got so many new things to see
He's tasting freedom, always on the run

He's tasting freedom, can't find his way back home
but sometimes he's lonely,
thinking about his girl back home,
she's all alone
he'll return, his wheels will burn,
one more hill to climb, he'll be back in time

He's tasting freedom, can't find his way back home
but sometimes he's lonely,
thinking about his girl back home,
she's all alone
he'll return, his wheels will burn,
one more hill to climb, he'll be back in time

He sings lei lei la leileilei, like a bird in the sky
lei lei la leileiloo, hello, goodbye, got to go

He's tasting freedom, always on the run
he's tasting freedom, can't find his way back home
Uh yeah, mhm, he's tasting freedom

Mick McDonald - 21 Acres

The original roots of Country music come from the Scots-Irish immigrants who settled in the Appalachia hill country in the 18th and 19th Centuries.  On this St. Patric's Day weekend, it's appropriate to point out the thriving Country music scene in Erie.  One of the most popular TV shows there is Glór Tíre, a Country music talent show in the mold of American Idol.  As you'd expect, the talent ranges all over the map, but Ireland has a long tradition of fine singers.

This is Mick McDonald who drives a truck and brings what can only be called Real Country Music.



Interestingly, this song is about a man who is about to sail away from Ireland on his way to America.  The roots of Country music run deep, and wide.

I wonder how you would tap into this

Underground beer pipes:

The Belgian city of Bruges has approved plans to build a pipeline which will funnel beer underneath its famous cobbled streets.

Locals and politicians were fed up with huge lorries clattering through the cobbled streets and tiny canal paths of the picturesque city and decided to connect the De Halve Maan brewery to a bottling factory 3.2km (two miles) away.

It is estimated that some 500 trucks currently motor through Bruges each year on their way to the brewery, which is a famous tourist attraction.

Now they will be kept out of the city limits, as the pipe pumps 1,500 gallons of beer per hour. Construction is set to begin next year.

What's the over/under on how long it takes before they find clandestine taps have been attached along the way?

I love Amsterdam

Let's be careful out there when it's hot.