Thoughts On A Sunday

It's official: summer is now over.

BeezleBub and I pulled the Official Weekend Pundit Lake Winnipesaukee Runabout out of the water this morning.

It was a beautiful morning, warm with no wind. The surface of the lake was like glass and there was only one other boat out on the lake with us. I believe both of us were doing the same thing – pulling our boats out of the water for the year.

BeezleBub and I would have stayed out on the lake all day if we could have, but a friend of mine was meeting us at the boat ramp with our trailer, so our trip was utilitarian, from our slip to the boat ramp.

We still have work to do to prep The Boat for winter, but the two most important chores have already been completes; changing the oil and draining and flushing the cooling system. The cosmetic work – cleaning the hull and interior – will be done over the next week or so. Then the Boat will be sheltered under a home made storage frame and tarp we still need to purchase the pieces/parts to build.

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Speaking of it being a nice day, it was warm, sunny, with a slight breeze. In all, a gorgeous New England fall day. Even with the foliage colors having faded from their peak brilliance, the scenery was breathtaking.

Deb and I had to run a couple of errands to run at noon and it was impossible to rush. We rode with the windows down, enjoying some of the last warm weather we expect to any time soon. Winter will get here all too soon. The weather was so nice Beezlebub and I actually listened to the second half of the New England Patriots game against the St. Louis Rams outside while working on the boat and stacking firewood.

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A number of newspapers have been cutting costs by trimming staff, shrinking the number of pages in each edition, and trying to expand the number of subscribers with incentives. We've seen that happening at newspapers in a number of cities, the most recent being the Newark, NJ Star-Ledger.

Deb and I saw a number of people from the Concord, NH Concord Monitor outside the one of the local supermarkets trying to entice shoppers to subscribe. They were offering a heavy discount and a $10 gift card from the supermarket.

The folks shilling the subscriptions were not temps or low-level employees, but staffers from the newspaper.

The paper is the most liberal in New Hampshire, derisively called Pravda-on-the-Merrimack by many of the moderate and conservative bloggers in the state. Is it any wonder it may be having problems with its circulation numbers?

Other newspapers in the state, such as the Manchester, NH Union Leader, are still doing well. Then again it, like a number of other newspapers around the state, are conservative publications. Hmm. Could there be a connection?

(H/T Instapundit)

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The Barrister of Maggie's Farm reminds us of a few hard learned truths about greed and money, one of them being this:

I'll tell you who is really greedy: Politicians with their endless demands on my money, and the people whose votes they want to buy by making me pay their bills (after passing it through the governmental/political machine which always takes its own generous cut) and to give them the money I have earned through hard work and taking risks. That is real greed, and "Gimme yours" is the Dem agenda.

You'll get no argument from me on that one.

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And speaking of such greed, here's an example of just how the Democrats plan to spend our money and raise our taxes, promises of the Obamessiah notwithstanding. This plan is not something coming from the conservative press or blogosphere, but from Barney Frank, Democratic Congressman from the People's Republic of Taxachusetts.

They have lots of experience raising taxes and spending the taxpayers' money in Massachusetts.

(H/T Maggie's Farm)

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Here we go again: Speaking of the Obamessiah, David Warren comments about the differences between Obama and McCain and messianic pretensions.

McCain is a man of action and accomplishment, Obama a man of "charisma" and pretty words, whose only real accomplishment has been his remarkable self-advancement. And Obama's policy outlook, so far as it can be discerned from the usual electoral pronouncements, consists of the same snake oil the pre-Clinton Democrats had been selling continuously since they chained the Great Society to America's ankle: that is, a constantly expanding Nanny State. I am hardly reassured by Obama's last-lap rhetorical reassurances: you don't send a man to Washington with a trillion dollars of candy-shop promises on Medicare, education, government job-creation, "spreading the wealth" -- especially when the economy has just tanked.

All this makes me think is that Obama is selling us a bill of goods and will lead us back to the bad old days of the mid to late 60's. I remember those days all too well and I have no desire to relive them. We already know Barney Frank wants us to go there.

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The USS New Hampshire was commissioned yesterday. The New Hampshire is the latest of the Virginia Class fast attack nuclear submarines, and with its commissioning becomes the most advanced nuclear sub in the US Navy's arsenal.

One difference between the USS New Hampshire and other submarines is the use of photonic masts rather than periscopes. This gives the crew a much better view of what's on the surface under all lighting conditions.

The submarine is quieter than other fast attack subs, making use of a more advanced nuclear reactor and propulsion systems. It also has better shallow water capabilities, meaning it can get SEAL teams in closer to shore than Los Angeles class subs.

The New Hampshire was completed eight months ahead of schedule and under budget.

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I guess I'm not the only one that's noticed Barack Obama is trying to buy the election, outspending John McCain by as much as six to one in some states.

The campaign has a little over a week to go and Obama has already run the most expensive presidential campaign in history.

It shows how willing Barack Obama is to go back on his word as long as it means he'll get what he wants.

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And that's the news from Lake Winnipesaukee, where the last glimpses of summer are being felt, even more campaign signs have appeared in the most unusual places, and where November 4th can't arrive too soon.