It's, err, "fragile"

It seems that the mail server at Old NFO's work place decided that it was working too hard (or something), and chewed up 2 years work of email.  Ouch.

But that reminded me of an experience with Microsoft that I had, Back In The Day.  You see, our development and test procedure included installing and uninstalling our software to make sure it went on and came off cleanly.  It did this a number of times (to make sure).  After a few months, we started having strange bugs on those computers.  Crazy strange bugs.  Not crashes and freezes, but Twilight Zone stuff.  We called Microsoft's support number.

After most of an afternoon on the phone with the guys there (and getting up to 3rd or 4th or 5th level support), we got to a guy who asked us this curious question: Hey, are you installing and uninstalling software a lot on that computer?

Blink.

Why yes we are.  How did you know?

We don't recommend that.  It makes the Registry fragile.

"Fragile".  I'll say.  Inspires confidence, right there.  I guess I'm a dinosaur or something - what do you need a Registry for if you have /usr/bin/local and ~/.foorc?

Punching back, twice as hard

Divemedic is taking a class from The Man:

We were recently in a class on how to conduct an exam, and were talking about the questions that we are required to ask a patient. One of the questions that they said we are required to ask is whether or not they own a gun, and whether or not that gun is kept in a secure location. Then we should use this as an opportunity to talk to them about the dangers of having a firearm in the home. I spoke up and said that I did not feel like that was a valid medical question, and the answer that I got was that this was about safety.

The Man got schooled.  RTWT, and bravo, Divemedic.

Hit the SOPA bastards where it hurts

Good news from Texas: there's a primary challenger to the loathsome Rep. Lamar Smith (R-MPAA), sponsor of the equally loathsome SOPA bill.  While only the good folks of his district can actually vote, the rest of us in Intarwebz land can still do something: Donate to his challenger, Richard Mack.

Battleswarm has done the footwork, and there's a lot to like about Mack:

He’s for restraining spending, controlling the border, and against ObamaCare. Not only does he support the Second Amendment, he was a leading opponent of the Brady Bill, was the very first Sheriff (and very possibly the first person) to file suit to get it overturned, and was the second named plaintiff in Printz Vs. U.S., which overturned key provisions. In addition to SOPA, he also opposes the indefinite incarceration of citizens provision of the NDAA.

Nice.  Of course, I'd donate even if he ate BBQ puppy for lunch every day.  It's a categorical imperative to get bough-and-paid-for jerks like Smith* out of office - it's both required and justified in and of itself.

You can drop him a few bucks here.  And bloggers, please pass this on.  Show him the power of this Fully Operational Internet.

* Don't Mess With the Internet, Lamar.  We bite.

Internet Security LOL

Security Haiku seems now sadly defunct.  There are some good Zen moments over there:

Secret questions are
the weakest link on your site.
My first pet? Your mom.

This one is, err, pungent:

Passwords, underwear:
change often, never share, when
compromised, replace.

Not a lot of them, but they do a good job of distilling security wisdom.

And now for something completely different

I've been pretty ranty lately, and so will make an effort to lighten the mood some.  Like this:

Via #2 Son.

Texas Blogshoot - dates?

U.S. Citizen has offered to host us at his gun club, and even the prospect of a (hopefully) large turn out hasn't been enough to scare them off.  The location has some logistical advantages for everyone.  It's located south east of Dallas, and so it's convenient for folks in the DFW metro area.  Folks in Houston can head up I-45, Austin or San Antonio up I-35. 

Location here.

So the question is dates.  Let me propose three options:

1. Weekend of April 7/8.

2. Weekend of April 14/15

3. Weekend of April 21/22

Please leave a comment voting on which weekend and also on whether Saturday or Sunday would be better.

Barack Obama just won the 2012 election

I figure that I'll beat the rush and call it now.  The Republican Establishment has proven that they really are the Stupid Party and have handed the election to Obama.  They may have jeopardized the House and Senate as well.

Consider 2008.  If Republican voter turnout had been what it was in 2004, we'd be talking about President McCain's reelection campaign.  People looked at what the GOP establishment put on offer, decided that it was Bob Dole 2.0, and stayed home.

Consider the recent Florida GOP primary, and Mitt's "great victory".  Every county that Mitt won had a lower voter turnout than in 2008; every county that Newt won had a higher turnout than in 2008. Every one. (Can't find link, but you'll see more about this over the next few days)

Consider South Carolina.  Turnout wasn't just up from 2008, it was way up from 2008. Newt won.  Turnout in Florida was way down from 2008.  Romney won.  The numbers are actually stunning.  In politics, they're about the only thing that doesn't lie.

And so to the GOP Establishment and Mitt's "electability" - yes, Newt's negatives are higher nationally (after Newt tried running a positive campaign focused on Obama in Iowa and Mitt buried him with negative ads).  Yes, Mitt's negatives are much lower - but the press hasn't yet started in on him (they're keeping their powder dry) and Obama will do to him what he just did to Newt with negative ads.

And a bunch of people are looking at him as the man with no core, with no agenda other than getting elected, and they're fixin' to stay home in November.  In their millions:

The Tea Party is a collection of people who felt compelled to transition from citizens to activists in favor of limited government and fiscal restraint. Many sacrifice time away from family, work, and life in a desperate attempt to save the nation they love, from their perspective. My concern is that the Tea Party will recoil from supporting a Republican Party that is headed by John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, and Mitt Romney.

...

The Republican presidential stakes kicked in, and Rebecca engaged. Her hopes rise with Rick Perry's entrance, but then "he gets hammered for stupid things, and drops." She thought about Herman Cain, "but his lack of campaign management was disconcerting." She never really thought Bachmann would make it to Florida, and says "Erick Erickson has educated me too much to cast a vote for Rick Santorum."  She considers Ron Paul's views right on a number of accounts, but thinks his foreign policy is "crazy."

"So here I am, supporting Newt Gingrich," Rebecca says. "I'm not in love with Newt, but I trust him more to stay true to conservative ideals. The guy pushed Clinton right, for goodness sake. I only trust Mitt to stay true to himself."

So, Rebecca, about Mitt: why not Romney this time?

"I don't trust him, and I don't think he can win. He is utterly unaware of how offensive his disconnect with the average American is. He drops $10K bets like it's nothing. He thinks $342,000 isn't very much to make in a year," Rebecca said. "I don't begrudge him his wealth - he worked for it and earned it and that is admirable. But I hate his lack of awareness of how super-wealthy he is. His flip-flops are legendary."

"Oh, and he invented Obamacare."

Mitt and the GOP establishment are making a huge gamble that the voters who caused the historical sweep in 2010 will take any crap sandwich they offer up.  Vote for Mittens, or the Republic gets it.

But they're not just betting the Oval Office, they're betting all the House and Senate seats as well.  If two million people decide to just stay at home, that not only leaves Obama in the White House, it leaves Harry Reid as Majority Leader and may even put Nancy Pelosi back in as Speaker.  Because those two million voters won't be casting ballots for Republicans in the down seat races either.

And so, the question is why would they do this?

The only reason that makes sense is that the GOP is owned lock, stock, and barrel by powerful political interests determined to keep the government feeding them non-competitive rents - like the incandescent light bulb ban that means we'll pay twice as much money for bulbs.  That was passed by the Republicans, remember.

And so, people will stay home.  I may actually vote - for Obama.  At least when he's grotesquely expanding government and driving the economy off a cliff, he'll be happy about it.  I don't expect that I'm the only one.  Heck, I may even vote in the Georgia primary and write "Obama" in - that might even make the news.

All you people saying "get Obama out at all costs" and "Romney is the electable candidate" are, I'm afraid, sadly mistaken.  Romney is Mr. 25%.  The base can't stand him.  He's a dirty campaigner.  He has no core - he's so hollow that if you tapped him he'd "ping".  When the Independents learn what he's all about (and make no mistake - the Press and the Democrats will make sure they learn), he's toast.

Other than that, he's awesome.  He's just going to take the whole party down with him.  At least that way, the Tea Party and Opposition will stay energized during the next four years.  And the business interests controlling the GOP establishment?  They'll do just fine buying sweet, sweet government imposed rents from the Obama Administration.  And right now they're trying to panic you with a "Vote for Romney Or Else" story.  Yeah, it's maybe a good time to panic.

Good grief, I sound like a tin foil hatter.  Anyone want to point out where I went wrong, please go ahead.  This is seriously bad juju, and I'd be delighted to be wrong.  I just don't think that I am.

Optimist or pessimist?

A wag once said that an Optimist believes that we live in the best of times.  A Pessimist fears this is true.  So is Simon Grey and optimist or a pessimist?

It’s pretty simple:  politics is Jersey Shore for the middle class.  It’s all a mudslinging mess, complete with petty drama, asinine interviews, contrived situations, and lots of attempt at moral posturing by greasy slimebags.  The Republican debates are like the Real Housewives of New York:  lots of hissy fits and name-calling coupled with hilarious self-seriousness.  There’s so much manufactured drama in politics that it’s hard to see any meaningful differences between it and so-called reality TV.

Politics, like reality TV, serves as a way for all of us to get off on how smart and moral we all are.  We’d never go through three wives like Newt Gingrich.  We’d never talk crazy like good ol’ Ron Paul (seriously, who cares about The Fed?).  We’d never be a weirdo homeschooling Catholic freak like Rick “Santorum” Santorum.  We’d never be a sniveling beta Mormon like Mitt Romney.  And all our policies would work perfectly from day one.

Well, actually my policies would work perfectly from Day One because my policies would be "Every Department's budget is reduced by 20%.  Headcount is reduced by 20%.  TSA is reduced by 100%."  But his point is a good one.

Got to set up a TiVO Season Pass for "The Real Politicians of the GOP" ...

RFID-based credit card fraud

This one is nasty, and unlike most credit card fraud, can stick you with the cost of the transaction:

Pull out your credit card and flip it over. If the back is marked with the words “PayPass,” “Blink,” that triangle of nested arcs that serves as the universal symbol for wireless data or a few other obscure icons, Kristin Paget says it’s vulnerable to an uber-stealthy form of pickpocketing. As she showed on a Washington D.C. stage Saturday, she can read all the data she needs to make a fraudulent transaction off that card with just a few hundred dollars worth of equipment, and do it invisibly through your wallet, purse, or pocket.

Paget did a live demo of this at the Shmoocon security conference.  She asked for a volunteer from the audience, read his RFID credit card information remotely using equipment she picked up for a song from eBay, and then used the information to place a $15 online transaction.  She gave the volunteer $20 to keep everything above board.

As far as we know, the range is limited, so the attacker would have to hang out in a crowd to harvest card information.  However, that just means riding the subway or going to the ball game.

And here's the part that I really don't like (quote from the same article):

In fact, contactless cards do offer one security feature traditional cards don’t: Along with the card’s 16-digit number and expiration date, the cards are set to offer up a one-time CVV code with every scan. Those codes can only be used for one transaction, and have to used in the order they’re generated. If a payment processor that detects multiple transactions with the same code or codes being used to make transactions in the wrong order, it will disable the card. So a contactless card scammer can only use each stolen number for one transaction, and if the victim of a the scam uses the card again before the thief has time to make a fraudulent payment, all transactions on the card will be blocked.

“The truth is that consumers should be embracing this technology because it’s making them safer,” says Vanderhoof. “Efforts to try to discredit the use of chip technology in cards is only making the technology more vulnerable.”

That's not true.  Today's credit card fraud involves repeated use of a stolen card number, until the fraud detection software picks up that something is wrong and the card number gets frozen.  The cost of this fraud is picked up mostly by the merchant or (infrequently) the card issuer.  With this technology, the card can only be used once.

That is unlikely to trip the fraud detection software, which means that the charge goes on your account.  If you don't pick it up when you go over your bill, you eat the cost of fraud.  In other words, this technology doesn't make the system more secure, it transfers the cost of fraud to you.

My recommendation is to stop carrying any credit card that contains an RFID chip.  It's probably OK to use them online, from home.  Or do some cooking:

Perhaps the simplest solution, Paget advises, is to kill your card’s RFID chip by frying it in the microwave. But that’s a more delicate task than it might seem. “Three seconds in the microwave will kill the chip,” she says. “Five seconds will set it on fire.”

If you have a card that you can wave in front of a reader, it has one of these chips.  Here's more on finding out if you have a problem.  Me, I like the E-Z Bake option.

Don't become jaded

Awesome.  This is where the Future comes from.

Acceptance speeches

Mitt Romney:

My fellow Americans,

This great country, which I love, and which you love, and which we love together; which I love because you love; God Bless America.

Thank you, and good night.

Newt Gingrich:

Here are 19 great ideas that I should have come out with a month ago.  Internet insurgency.  Follow me on Twitter.

Rick Santorum:

Thanks for all your support for my daughter in the hospital [this was very touching - Borepatch].  Here's a bunch of stuff that will leave a bad taste in your mouth.

R0N P4uL!!!1!:

I'm the Howard Dean of the GOP. End the Fed!

I think I got that all about right.

Will Republicans vote for a Mormon?

No, says a Mormon Republican:

A lot of Republicans hate Romney because he's Mormon, and they've been taught by their ministers that Mormons are an evil cult. This is absurdly false, but it's a serious factor in Republican politics.


They don't dare admit their Mormon-hatred openly, because the Republican Party needs the Mormon vote the way Democrats need and count on the Jewish vote -- a small and much-maligned religious minority, but one that votes as a bloc and contributes time and money far beyond their numbers.

This is an interesting analysis, and goes into why the Left also hates Romney (it's not because it's because he's a Mormon, but because he's rich).

I'm probably not the best guy to analyze this because the whole "I won't vote for him because he goes to the wrong church/wants to marry the wrong person/etc" thing is a divide by zero error for me.  I just don't understand what causes the passion.  But Orson Scott Card (a Mormon) writes clearly and logically on this.

All I would add is that all those polls showing that Mitt does better in the general election than Newt is strongly related to the fact that nobody knows who Mitt is (except for political wonks) and everyone knows Newt's negatives.  In other words, Mitt's negatives will be much higher once the media is done bashing him in the general election; Newt's probably wouldn't be much different.

I am only 10% Smart

Damn.

I knew who made Sideways.  The background of the whole thing is, of course, "smart" vs. "Smart".

Now that's a political ad!

What, are you part of the 1%?

Like Slick Willard has the stones to run something like this.  I'm not sure who this Brian K. Hill fellow is, but I must say that I like the cut of his jib.

Hat tip: The Other McCain.

Shooting Illustrated copies Borepatch

Well, not really.  But they did a review of Dragon Leather Works' Quantum holster:

The Quantum held up without complaint through the steamy North Carolina summer into the fall, and is still going strong in January. It turned out to be resistant to sweat and scuffing alike, a testament to the quality of the leather used and how it was constructed. Badurina’s goal for Dragon Leatherworks was to provide made-in-U.S. craftsmanship at a reasonable price.

Well earned recognition to Dennis, right there.  Although sadly no mention of the Way Cool Quantum logo in the article.

Let me just add that I can testify that the Quantum is comfortable even on a 14 hour drive.  It's rock steady, and the pistol doesn't move a millimeter.  Recommended.

Happy blogiversary to Bob at The Drawn Cutlass

5 years of snark, BBQ, and treasure hunting.  Here's hoping for many more.

Oh, and he discusses the respective, err. pulchritude of J. Lo, Kim Kardashian, and Nina Hartley.  Did I mention snark?

Don't bring a knife to a gunfight

Bring a gun knife!



And Zombies and beer, too.  But I think that even I could shoot the 'splody zombies better than he did.  I guess there's a lesson there - with an M4 you have a lot of shots, so I guess you can miss a lot.

A new Republican candidate?

Sonic Charmer throws his hat into the ring:

Frustrated with the current slate of options faced by our country, and after zero lengthy discussions with my family or soul-searching, I have decided to do the right and responsible thing by my country and throw my hat into the ring to be the evil (R) party’s nominee for President of the United States. Please vote for me, like by writing in “Sonic Charmer”, or (if you’re a broker at the convention) please broker the convention for me. Or however you call it, I’m not sure how that part works.

Key facts about me, Sonic Charmer, and why I am qualified to be the next President of the United States:

[snip]

Wife count: < 2 (strict inequality).

Would be cool with Warren Buffet’s secretary’s tax rate being lowered by special Act of Congress. (I’d overhaul the tax code to be flatter for the rest of us, but Warren Buffet’s secretary, she’s a special case, we’re all very concerned about her)

Visionary. I think we should build a giant space station next to a wormhole. An AMERICAN space station.

Read the whole thing.  There's actually a lot of great renewable, green energy you can get from a wormhole.

On the love of Sons for their Father

My daddy, he was somewhere between God and John Wayne.

- Hank Williams, Jr.

The bond between a Father and his Sons is something that defines description.  This almost - almost - describes it.



A sixty year search.  I hope it brought them peace.

By profession, I am a soldier and take pride in that fact. But I am prouder, infinitely prouder, to be a father.

- Douglas MacArthur

My Five fantasy guns

Like His Newtness, I think big.

76mm HEAT M4 Sherman main battery (with tank as gun platform).  The 76mm was a big improvement over the original 75mm - much more so than the trivial extra millimeter would suggest.  The Sherman is still simple enough to be (vaguely) practical for private ownership.  I'm guessing that this would be classified by the ATF as a "Destructive Device", so the cost will be higher because of the extensive legal work to get all the licenses.

Ma-Deuce (P-51 as the gun platform).  Because what's more awesome than Ma-Deuce?  Six of them riding on the greatest propeller fighter of all time.  These planes are popular at air shows all over the land, but this would take that to a whole 'nother level.  Not just low passes, but strafing runs.  Like with the Sherman, I expect that you'd need to budget extra for legal fees (or bribes political contributions) to get the right licenses.  Hey, it's my fantasy, right?

Mark 8 Torpedo tube (PT Boat as gun platform).  Yeah, it's a wooden boat, and so upkeep will be a pain (buy stock in Valspar), but let's face it - if you want to play one ups-manship at the local marina, this would about do it (note to self: make sure that proper grey camouflage paint job is done before taking it into harbor).  New England residents will get bonus points if you paint a number "109" on the bow.  And if you dock it in Hyannisport.

Siege of Constantinople bombard.  There's a reason that the city is called Istanbul, and this is it.  The old Theodosian Walls were no match to the firepower of these monsters.  Yeah, it took a team of oxen to haul it and you were lucky to get off three shots in a day, but those old Roman fortifications just couldn't take the pounding.  Bonus points: this is likely not covered by the NFA (worst case, it's classified as a Curio and Relic firearm).  Downside: local meth-addled thugs will want to swipe it for the scrap value.

A 2.7 mm (10 caliber) Kolibri, simply because it's about at the opposite end of the size spectrum from the Sultan Mehmet bombard.  The whole pistol isn't much bigger than a single .45 ACP cartridge (shown in the picture for scale), so this is a mouse gun that might only make the mouse mad if you hit him.  Actually, I couldn't think of anything else, but this is goofy enough to add to the list.

I'm thinking I could score this sweet list for $20M or so - $30M tops.  Might have to look at one of the former Soviet Bloc countries for an old bombard, but I understood that the rules stated that money is no object.  I expect that this is the strangest list posted in this meme, but you guys know that any incoming transmission from Planet Borepatch is going to be weird.  It was actually fun asking myself what will dial the weird up to eleven. Sure, it's really not what Robb was getting at in his meme, but like Newt, I pride myself on being visionary.  And unlike a Moon Colony, this isn't idiotic.

Well, it is, but it's not that idiotic.

A note about exercise

My 17 year old self would kick sand in my face.  Just sayin'.

The GOP Establishment and the Reckoning

Mark Alger has an interesting post that captures much of my feeling this election cycle:

In short, the couch thing with Bela Pelosi: FAIL. The JohnKinging of the media (note how quickly that became a transitive verb): EPIC WIN.

And that, I think, is the point. Tired of taking it on the chin from rude, gibbering, little homunculi of the Left, and then being laughed at for wimps when making a measured and proportionate response, We in the Right have long demanded a more muscular response -- a retaliation... a punishing retaliation -- from our soi disant leaders.

Newt seems bent on giving that to us, in word and in deed -- without much regard to what may be drudged up out of his record to smear him with.

And that is why he is liked by the groundlings.

Yeah.  It's like Lincoln's reply when the Union Military Elite told him to get rid of Grant early in the war: I can't spare him.  He fights.

But that got me thinking (as Mark is wont to do), and I went to leave a comment over there.  Unfortunately, I'm not registered or something, and so can't leave a comment.  And so I'll inflict it on you:

I recall that scene in Tombstone, where Val Kilmer says "It's not Revenge he wants.  It's a Reckoning."

That's what the Tea Party is about.  That's what the anybody-but-Romney crowd is about.  I dare say that's what your post was about.

So if Romney gets the nomination, when comes the Reckoning?  Because come it will.

People are fixated on get Obama out of office at all cost.  They're missing the Reckoning:



And so we come yet again to the stupidity and short sightedness of the Elites.  Do they really not see the Reckoning, after the rallies and election of 2010?  Really?  If they really ram Slick Willard down everyone's throats, do they not inflame this feeling, rather than tamping it down?

And then I think on how the Elite is handling the financial crisis in Europe, where reasonable changes early would likely have defused the situation.  But those changes would have cost the Elite control, or money, or embarrassment, and so the Elite kept doubling down, hoping against hope to cheat their way through.

The GOP Establishment have lived up (down?) to the Progressive's scolding that we all need to be more like Europe.  Watching this, it's the same incompetence, mixed with equal measures of arrogance and desperation.  And so again: when comes the Reckoning, what happens?  Does it sweep Ron Paul to power?  Whatever it will be, it will be the more extreme for being thwarted so often in the past.

Tagged "GOP sucks" because, well, you know.

Jeremy Soule - Overture to Skyrim

Image via Wikipedia

For those of you who aren't blessed with teenage boys, Skyrim isn't an opera, it's a best selling fantasy computer game.  And this music isn't the overture (the traditional opening musical piece to an opera), it's the "Skyrim theme".

Whatever.  Skyrim is an interactive opera with you as the main character, set in a barbarian mythos worthy of Wagner.  This is the overture.

In a comment to last week's Prokofiev post, reader Dave H pointed out the really excellent classic music being composed for games these days.  He's quite right.  Video games have passed Hollywood in sales; the Call Of Duty franchise of games has a much higher gross than the Star Wars franchise of motion pictures.  These are big budget products, with serious actors for the voice parts (Skyrim has Christopher Plummer) and music budgets to attract serious classical talent.

And since we're happy lacking in a landed aristocracy that would commission the talent of the day to produce music to glory their name, we at least have a market that supports quite interesting - if commercial - new classical music.  In fact, the commercial appeal is what makes the music accessible: since it's not funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, it has to appeal to a public much broader than the SWPL types who sit on NEA Grant Committees.

And so you get a barbarian overture hinting of Gorecki or Carl Orff, with a strong flavor of a rougher Wagner or Mahler.  Is this great music?  Beats me - I'm no music critic, nor am I a music historian (although I play one on my blog).  But this is listened to my literally hundreds of thousands of people who otherwise might be putting some rap on their iPod.



Time will tell Jeremy Soule's place (if any) in the pantheon of classical music greats, but Dave H is absolutely correct.  Classical music is alive and well.  You can pick it up at Game Stop.

I got nothing

Well, other than I can't remember the last time I actually enjoyed listening to the kids bicker. I dare say that it will get old, but it's quite odd what can suddenly seem like the Music of the Gods.

Too slow

On her maiden voyage in 1952, the S.S. United States won the Blue Riband prize for fastest Atlantic crossing by a passenger ship, crushing the previous record set by the S.S. Queen Mary.  To this day she still holds this record: no other passenger liner was ever able to wrest it from her.  She averaged over 35 knots speed, crossing an entire ocean.

She was essentially constructed around her massive engines.  Designed for speed, her all-aluminum superstructure was at the time of her construction the largest aluminum fabrication effort ever under taken.

She's been mothballed in Philadelphia since 1996, nearly three decades since she was retired. 

 

You see, she was too slow.  The 1960s saw an explosion of air travel, all at the expense of the liners.



The S.S. United States' speed came at a fearsome cost in fuel.  The fares were expensive, and passengers found that they could spend less and arrive three days earlier.  And so in the space of a decade all the grand old liners were mothballed, or found themselves (like the S.S. France) renamed, re-engined (with a third the horse power) and doing permanent duty as Caribbean Cruse Ships.

Many people have tried to breathe new life into the old ships, but alas, their glory was in the trans-Atlantic crossing.  They're too big (at nearly a thousand feet long), too fast, and too expensive for the only use that people will pay cash money for today: vacation cruising.  Racing through the cold, grey North Atlantic has little attraction for most, especially when compared with sun and palm trees.

Teletubbies vs. Zombies

T-Bolt made me.

Kellie Pickler - My Angel

(Image source)

Sometimes Angels watch over us.  They watched over Kellie Pickler.  Her Dad was in and out of jail.  Her Mom wasn't there for her.

But her grandparents were.  She lived with them, and grew up, and became who she is under their wing. She grew up, a "normal" small town girl - church choir, cheer leading, basic growing from childhood to adult.  Without Mom or Dad.

But with her Grand Parents, and with an extraordinary talent.  Pickler hit the big time with American Idol, where Simon Cowell said that the should be singing Country.  Her ninth place finish gave her a chance to record, and her "High Heel Shoes" song got her to the charts, and her "I Wonder" song - about her Mom, who abandoned her - kept her there.

But this one is the one that I think that cements her place (with me) as one of the few songwriters who can capture the time, and place, and emotion of what's happening.  The "sophisticated" music critics have passed this by, but only because they've passed by the type of emotion that is common, but uncommonly captured in song.

I'd like to think that most people would do this for their flesh and blood.  Mostly, perhaps, it doesn't.  But sometimes you even see this happening, before your eyes.

There is an outside chance Little Bit's mother, her birth mother, will visit on Little Bit's birthday next month. That is if the stars are in alignment, the earth's crust doesn't shift, and purple rain showers develop out over the Gulf of Mexico. Little Bit hasn't seen her mother in over three years, so I'm not sure how I feel about this visit. What effect will it have on my grandchild when she has to say, goodbye.

Her mother has promised so much over the years and, as is her way, failed. She never follows through. This hurts Little Bit. I hope this isn't another. Little Bit is so excited.

I hope that she gets her birthday wish - to see her Mom.  But even if she doesn't, she has Angels watching over her.  Her Grand Parents.



Little Bit has had a raw deal, but she's also been given some Angels.  I hope that in the fullness of time, she realizes that.