Noble is the View

So it was the womanly woman's birthday last week. After consulting a few of her lists, I conjured up a nice little getaway into the woods of western Massachusetts to escape NYC's urban madness. I kept it a secret, weathering the poke-and-prod and hint-soliciting from KZ. To feed her curiosity, I left some scraps for her: 1) Noble is the View. 2) Charge your phone. 3) LaGuardia.

Most campsites close in mid-October, but after a series of phone calls, emails, and some written correspondence, I managed to book the Farmhouse (built in 1831) at Noble View Camp, a 360 acre site with trails, beautiful views, cottages, and our farmhouse. It was a short drive away from the M-M Trail, the 116 mile trail that stretches from New Hampshire down to Connecticut. I chose section 6 of the trail, which included a nice hike into the wooded crests and ridges of Mount Tom. When I first talked to Gary, he made sure to note, "It's real rustic. Bring-your-own- water rustic. Gas lights, too." Perfect, I thought.

From Noble is the View

From Noble is the View

From Noble is the View

Forgot how much I love wood stoves. As KZ said, far more entertainment than TV could ever offer.

From Noble is the View

From Noble is the View

Take a hike!

From Noble is the View

From Noble is the View

From Noble is the View

From Noble is the View

From Noble is the View

Hell of a hike. A storm started to blow in, winds gusting and swirling around us during our descent. Word to the wise: If you start your hike at section 6, don't use the animal hospital for parking. Luckily, we were spared a tow.

"When this kind of fire starts, it is very hard to put out." Karen, the Log Lady.

From Noble is the View

Bringing the Shit to Shoe Level

It's been awhile. Been grinding away. But here goes again...

Just thought I'd come out and say it: That's right, I support the House bill 5843: Act to Remove Federal Penalties for the Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults.

Kudos to Barney from MA for introducing this bill. And Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) for co-sponsoring!

It's currently under review by the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. I highly doubt it will make it very far, but damnit, it should. I'll be keeping my (red) eye on it. Wiki page here.

In other news...

Serving God | Apparently, God--being omnipresent, omnipotent, and all-knowing--also has complete and indisputable immunity from the courts. So goes the ruling by Judge Marlan Polk in Omaha, which held that, although God is present everywhere, there's no evidence he was/ever can be served papers. The suit was thrown out, like those sinners Adam & Eve from Eden. Former State Senator (D-NE) Ernie Chambers brought the suit against God to make the point that anyone should have equal access to the courts, a response to the state legistlature's previous attempts to limit frivolous lawsuits. His last suit against God sought a permanent injunction to prevent God from committing acts of violence such as earthquakes and tornadoes. The lawsuits may have failed, but they've tarnished God's already questionable reputation. God did not return any calls for comment.

(Some) Men and Their Pussies

Dear Clark Hoyt:

WTF? Your New York Times ran a story--albeit, in the pish-on-the-posh Sunday Styles section--about a "growing trend" of men embracing their fluffier side and owning more and more cats. Tip of the hat to Jack Shafer, over at Slate.com, who straps on the chest waders and mucks through the bullshit.

I'm a little too nonplussed right now to comment on this shitty, pseudo-reportage (see below), so I'll just plop some photos down. Me and two other literary cat-owning icons. Who gives a rip who owns what pet? Silly.

I had to, you know, since men are just flooding the internet with photographs and videos of their "little buddies." Disclaimer: I'm not the owner. He's just a friend :)

I like Jack Shafer's recipe for frothy trend stories:

How to write a bogus trend story: Start with something you wish were on the rise. State that rise as a fact. Allow that there are no facts, surveys, or test results to support such a fact. Use and reuse the word seems. Collect anecdotes and sprinkle liberally. Drift from your original point as far as you can to collect other data points. Add liberally. Finish with an upbeat quotation like "My cat takes priority over the new relationship. Realistically, unless there's something absolutely amazing about [the woman I'm dating], he wins."