September 30, 2008
Random Commuter Observation
I've seen many things in my daily commute between Orgle Manor and the metro, but this morning was the first time I've ever watched a woman change her clothes whilst driving. She was in a black Mercedes behind me, and as she sped along she pulled one top off over her head, put another one on the same way and shimmied into a jacket. Needless to say, her car swerved about rayther dramatically.
Idjit.
Incidentally, for those of you wondering, yes, she was rayther good looking, but no, the dashboard and steering wheel protected her modesty fairly efficiently.
September 29, 2008
"The Burt Fool's Bandaged Fingers Go Wobbling Back To The Fire"***
The football game being of absolutely no interest to me this evening, I am watching The Alamo on AMC. It seems to me that about ten out of every fifteen minutes are devoted to commercials, but what is particularly puzzling is that most of the ads are for investment banks and the NASDAQ. Some of them are even flaunting the advantages of reverse mortgages.
Hell-OOOO!!! McFLYYYYY!!!! Has anyone been paying the slightest attention to the financial noooz of the last, what, weeks now?
I seriously, seriously hope that no one out there, on seeing one of these commercials, is scratching his or her chin and thinking, "Hmmmmm...."
***Spot the quote.
Darth Rove on the collapse of the bailout.
On John Gibson's show via Hot Air:
http://homepage.mac.com/mkoldys/blog/bik244421698.html
He nails Pelosi on it--she allowed vulnerable House Democrats, committee chairmen, and subcommittee chairmen to vote "no" while one of her minions is saying how they are going to use the bailout against the GOP in the coming weeks. And they wonder why House Republicans said: "screw it."
Gratuitous Nats Season Bye-ku
Lost One Hundred Two.
What Is The Silver Lining?
Not One Hundred Three.
Okay, it was a horrid season. I could, of course, put in the gratuitous explanatory paragraph about the string of awful injuries that plagued the team and about their lack of hitting. I could, instead, say something humorous about the ghost of Bobby Kennedy following the team over from RFK to Nationals Park, or perhaps suggest that the Nats jinxed themselves by never letting Teddy win the Presidents' race even once this year.
But you know what? I'm not going to bother. Yeah, we just plain sucked. But the fact of the matter is that I thoroughly enjoyed each and every (well, almost every) minute of the Nats games this season. And I'm going to go on enthusiastically supporting them, come hell or high water.
I'm a Nats Fan and I am Not. Going. To. Dust. Myself. Off.
GO NATS!
Count on us to focus on the really important issues
FREE HEATHER LOCKLEAR!
Heather Locklear celebrity profile
Robbo, makes the arrangements. We leave for LA immediately.
Yips! from Robbo: Done and done. Heather be thy name!
September 28, 2008
How not to read a bedtime story
Bedtime story tip: Enunciation when reading aloud to one's offpsring is all-important and can help you avoid the gaffe I committed this evening: referring to "Sleeping Beauty" as "Sleeping Booty." I was immediately busted by Mrs. LMC, and have little doubt it will be fodder for family gatherings for years to come.
This has been an LMC Public Service Announcement. We will now return to our regularly scheduled programming.
September 27, 2008
Obama had to read the bracelet
to remember the name of the soldier on it during last night's debate:
Via the incomparable Michelle Malkin at Hot Air.
FURTHER YIPS: Babs, my bracelet bears the name of SGT Alfred G. Paredez who rode with my transition team from time to time. He died on November 21, 2007, along with an Iraqi patriot who served his country and ours as a translater. Saint George, partron saint of all who ride to battle under the crossed sabers, pray for them.
September 26, 2008
Money, Money, Money
Many people have written into the Tasty Bits (TM) Mail Sack asking, "Tom, why haven't you posted on the financial crisis?"
Well, the answer is that I know so little about this sort of thing that nothing I can say would contribute one tiny bit to the discussion.
However, I do know now that the Missus and I have been absolute mugs for locking into a 30-year fixed at six and whatever it is on our mortgage, and even more so for keeping up with the payments, especially as the Missus had to go back to work when I switched jobs four years ago and took a sizeable punch in the salary for it.
So I've been on the phone all morning and have got in on what we think is a more sensible deal: We're re-fiing on a 90 day ARM. For the first 90 days, not only do we get a million dollar credit line, the lender actually pays us interest. Of course, after 90 days, the rate we pay them is 500% compounded weekly plus our eldest daughter, but we figure we'll just go ahead and blow through the credit, default in three months and let Uncle pick up the tab for us.
How suh-weet is that?
All fooling aside, on a general level my impression is that this entire morass is just another outburst of Baby-Boomer greed and hubris. I suppose they reckoned they would pillage the financial sector before getting on with destroying the retirement system, just to be thorough about it.
If you used to think "the Me Generation" was a coo-el idea, I sincerely hope you've disabused yourself of that notion by now.
September 25, 2008
Gratuitous Nats Season-Ending Haiku
Well, we dropped an ugly one to the Marlins last night. In my continuing attempt to avoid having to fall back on "Let's Not Lose One Hundred Games!" as a rallying cry, I offer another piece of poetry:
Ninety-nine losses now.
Four games left in the season.
Maybe pray for rain?
As a matter of fact, tonight's series-ender against the Marlins is almost sure to be rained out, as a nor'easter is rolling into Dee Cee today. Which raises the question: Both the Nats and teh Marlins are out anyway. Must they make up this game, or can they simply say to hell with it?
September 24, 2008
"This Election Day, everything you hold sacred will need your vote"
Gut-check time for the Faithful. "Ardent" Catholics like Nancy Polosi and Joe Biden won't be able to respond to this:
It pulls no punches and makes no apologies.
Via Hot Air.
Gratuitous Nats Bye-Ku Posting
Well, it's kind of hard to rally behind a final week slogan of "Let's Not Lose 100 Games!" so I thought instead that I would celebrate last night's 9-4 win eliminating the Marlins from the wildcard race in verse:
Marlin October?
Asked for bats against Dee Cee.
Jobu no like fish.
We've got two more against the Marlins at home and then finish the season this weekend in Philly. Gary, we'll see what we can do.
It's Over
Finally - NY Wankees eliminated from playoffs.
13 Year Playoff Run Comes To An End!
Welcome to the Girardi era, New York.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
September 22, 2008
"Astroturfing" as in a conjugation of the verb to Astroturf
Surf on over to the Sandcrawler where Dr. Rusty and the rest of the merry band of jawas enlighten us the Obama campaign's efforts to make a ginned up attack machine against Sarah Palin look "grassroots".
Gratuitous Fins Posting
I shall now proceed to indulge in a little gloating.
Wooooooo-Hooooooooo!!!!!! Oh, yah!! Who's the Man? Huh? Who's the Man???
Thankyew.
Thus, according to Robbo's personal scale, no matter how the rest of the games go, the Fins may now consider this season to be a winnah. And if they take the second game off the Pats later on, they may consider themselves to be outright champs.
McCain within five points of The One on the Left Coast
according to this. If either New York or California break for McCain, it is all over for The One.
September 17, 2008
Megan Fox
Mrs. LMC pointed this out to me from the local fishwrapper--Megan putting on display one of the sure indications of a starlet whose career is on the ropes--suggestions of lesbian experimentation. Photo shoots in skin mags and movies on the estrogen channels are around the corner.
LOOKS LIKE I SPOKE TOO SOON: Turns out she is set for next month's Maxim where she has appeared before.
September 16, 2008
Deja Vu All Over Again?
Fans will recollect that last September the Nats were primary contributors to the defenestration of the Mets from atop the NL East. The question is: Could it be happening again? It certainly looked like it last night as the Nats took the first of a four-game home stand off the Mets by the score of 7 to 2, and did so in mighty fine style. We shall see what the rest of the week holds in store.
By the way, I mention this not to taunt Gary, but almost in commiseration. While I am no fan of the Mets, I positively loathe the Phillies. We close against them later this month and to the extent that we throw a spanner into the Mets' pennant drive this week, I hope we make it up then.
Go Nats!
WEDNESDAY UPDATE: Uh, make that two out of the four games.
Go NATS!
Here We Go Again Yips! From Gary:
September 15, 2008
Laces Out!
Today is the birthday of Dan Marino, born this day in 1961.
Now that the 'Fins are 0-2 after getting trounced by the Cardinals yesterday, I am hereby officially requesting that Marino come out of retirement. C'mon, Dan, you're only 47! Pleeeeeeeease????
September 14, 2008
The Tina Fey Skit
Not going to link it or reproduce it here as it's a waste of keystrokes. You've no doubt already seen it.
It was funny. Kudos to Fey for getting that Northwestern accent down pretty well. Yes, it was meant to portray Sarah Palin as a barbie doll but I remember all those "amiable dunce" portrayals of Reagan in the '80's by the incredibly talented Phil Hartman. Those skits were funny too.
I think the point here is that Republicans have a sense of humor about themselves. Democrats just get all indignant over anything that undermines how seriously they take themselves.
Even Palin's reaction was humorous:
On Sunday, a campaign adviser confirmed that Ms. Palin had, indeed, watched the “Saturday Night Live” skit from her screen at the front of the plane. “She thought it was quite funny,” the adviser said in an email response to inquiries, “especially because the governor has dressed up as Tina Fey for Halloween.”Can't wait for the debate parody in about a month.
September 13, 2008
Another example of bad staff work
Compare this ad from The One criticising McCain's lack of computer savvy:
with the fact that McCain's war wounds prevent him from using a keyboard. The ad in response writes itself.
Out of airspeed, out of altitude, and out of ideas
Read this piece by Charles Krauthammer at National Review. It tracks the trajectory of Obama's rise on the national stage, his peak in the primaries, and now descent. Money point: the Berlin speech was his "jump the shark" moment. Ol' Charles invites us to compare this image of Obama with this one of Palin. To use a Virginia politics analogy, The One will be remembered as the Mary Sue Terry of 2008, one whose rise to high to public office was seen as historic, inevitible, but ultimately, unattainable. Sarah Palin is the early George Allen of this campaign, down to earth, solid conservative, disparaged by the media, and a hit with the public.
September 12, 2008
September 11, 2008
Do Not Forget
***Stickied to the Top for the Day ***
May the victims of the attacks rest in peace. May those that survive them find solace.
I had a very curious experience this summer. While the attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon have of course been seared in vivid visual images in my mind, the downing of Flight 93 at Shanksville, PA had always been somewhat more nebulous. This is not to say that I did not appreciate the horror and heroism of that particular episode of the assault. Rayther, because it had happened “way out there somewhere” and away from any recognizable landmark, I just never had anything concrete around which to wrap my thoughts.
Until, as I say, this past June. When I drove the elder gels up to their sleep-away camp, I discovered that it is, in fact, no more than about 5 miles away from the Shanksville crash sight. As you go north off the Pennsylvania Turnpike from Somerset, you reach a road junction about ten miles away: turn left and you’re on your way to a place dedicated Christian fellowship. Turn right and you reach a site of death and destruction at the hands of pure evil.
I’d had no idea. And I must say that when I saw the sign and realized just where I was, I gasped. After almost seven years, I suddenly had that concrete image on which to focus which had been lacking before. It was different from the Towers and the Pentagon, of course: No amputated skyline to view from I-95 as a reminder of our loss, no bravely rebuilt building to ponder from the GW Parkway as a symbol of our resolve. Instead, the drive out from Northern Virginia gave me a geographical reference, a knowledge of just where it happened, a map-point in my mind that suddenly, after all those years of nebulousness, put that lonely field in the middle of nowhere on an equal footing of clarity with the other two scenes. As I say, I gasped.
A powerful reminder. Do not forget. Do NOT forget.
(Cross-posted at The Port Stands At Your Elbow.)
The Bourne Bitch-Slap
Over at NRO, Lisa Schiffren unloads on Matt Damon's crack about Sarah Palin being like something out of a bad Disney movie:
Well I have seen my fair share of bad recent Disney movies, including such masterpieces as "Barbie as Rapunzel." Even a non-feminist mother might object to the deluge of princess imagery hurled at little girls. But — here is the thing: In most of the modern Disney fairy tale movies the princess/heroine character, who is nobody's fool, rises to meet difficult circumstances, and slays her own dragons. The "happy ever after" part allows for the possibility that the young heroine will become experienced, wise and a good leader. Maybe that is a more plausible version of things than the current Hollywood fantasy that a small cabal of evil people, with no regard for human rights, will abuse their power under the guise of fighting the war on terror. (Though I kind of liked the Bourne Ultimatum anyway.) Reality is more complicated than a Disney movie — or a Matt Damon movie.
Ow.
September 10, 2008
Team Obama-"unforced errors"
as described by something I read this morning, probably on National Review.
I do not know where it came from, but Team McCain is back to playing like they want to win. Check out the wolves ad:
Gratuitous Lipsticked Pig Observations
Two things come to mind regarding Obama's lipstick-on-a-pig remark being hurled all round the Intertoobs and the campaigns this morning:
1.) I'm pretty sure that Obama was not implying that Gov. Palin is a pig. I mean, surely nobody can be that politically stupid, right? It strikes me that the metaphor simply got out of his mouth before his brain could vet it.
2.) Having said that, on a wider level I am increasingly of the opinion that everyone is underestimating the seismic shock Gov. Palin's entry into the race is causing, perhaps by several orders of magnitude. My advice is to chuck all those old models and metrics you're using to handicap this thing, because none of them seem to apply anymore.
September 09, 2008
September 08, 2008
What He Said
Regular Llama reader Mike sent in this vid. I've a vague idea I might have seen it before, but it's still a) pretty damn funny and b) pretty damn true:
Enjoy!
Llama Storm Of The Century Of The Week Wrap-Up
Just in case anybody is interested, what was left of TS Hanna proved to be a disappointment by the time it rolled through the Dee Cee area on Saturday. Yes, we got quite a bit of rain (somebody told me about 7 inches) and a goodish bit of mulch has been washed out of the borders 'round Orgle Manor. But wind? Barely a puff. And curiously, I heard not one, single clap of thunder the entire time. Some "storm".
Nonetheless, Virginia Power chose to cut off the power for about two hours late Saturday afternoon. I suppose they were just trying to get into the spirit of the thing and didn't want to miss the chance to annoy their customers.
Oh, and speaking of disappointments, I could not recall if I'd ever watched Deep Impact all the way through before, but dayum what a dog of a movie - touchy-feely and humorless and so bloody sincere. Feh, give me Bruce Willis kicking butt in Armaggedon any time there's a 'stroid to be dealt with.
September 05, 2008
Llama Storm Survival Gear
With TS Hanna bearing down on us, tomorrow promises to be thoroughly nasty. Currently, the wind isn't expected to get above 30 or 40 mph in my neck of the woods, but still....it won't be a day for being outside.
So what am I going to do? Well, through a prescient loading of the queue, Netflix sent me both Bad Boys and Deep Impact yesterday. So, assuming Virginia Power does not fail us (a rash assumption, I know), I intend to simply sit back and have myself a nice big hot Cup o' Téa.
Ch-Ch-Changes
I have a colleague, an ardent supporter of She Who Must Not Be Named. This person spent all day yesterday spitting poison at Sarah Palin and is still frothing about her this morning.
It suddenly occurs to me that this is the sound of somebody realizing that SWMNBN has been beached by the tide of history.
Fighting Gals
A list thereof with pictures to boot. Via Special Agent Bedhead. Gentlemen-who do you think should be added to the list?
FOLLOWUP YIPS: Bridget Fonda in Point of No Return:
Halle Berry as Catwoman, by request:
Jessica Biel in the forgettable flick Stealth:
Most memorable line: "bleach causes cancer in rats."
September 04, 2008
Gratuitous Post-Palin Speech Observation
Back on August 30, I said:
My guess would be that the MSM should be reeeeeeal careful in serving up this kind of condescension in its effort to smother the emerging Palin mojo, because it might very well backfire. If she, in fact, can't handle going to the Show, that'll emerge soon enough without any press prompting. However, if she's got what it takes and the MSM is perceived as simply trying to stop her, well, it strikes me that neither the GOP base nor middle-of-the-road voters will put up with that kind of naked bias and instead will see it as all the more reason to rally round.
I'm hereby doubling-down on that prediction.
STRAW-IN-THE-WIND UPDATE: One of the reasons for my increasing confidence is that the Missus, who generally loathes bumper sticker politics, is slapping one of these on the back of her car:
Anyone capable of getting the Missus enthusiastic about their campaign to this extent has got some serious mojo going on.
Gratuitous Nats Posting
Before we get too far into Sarapalooza or Hurricane Hanna Panic Mode this morning, may I just point out that the Nats came up with a suhweeeet come-from-behind victory over teh Phillies last evening that had me frantically flipping channels back and forth between MASN and Fox News.
That's two out of three games against teh Phills (you can thank me later, Gary), and eight out of nine for this week's home stand. Not. Too. Shabby.
GO NATS!
We are so screwed
judging by the latest estimated track of Hannah, so time to crank up the 'ol LMC nomination for the Storm of the Century of the Week theme song:
September 03, 2008
Coming Over To The Dark Side
"Good.....Goood......"
I had told myself that I was going to avoid watching the conventions, knowing perfectly well that if and when I finally gave in to politics I would find myself obsessing all the way through Election Day.
Well, I did fine last week and on Monday. Last night, however, I caved. And now of course I'm going to watch the speeches tonight and tomorrow. And read up on all the coverage and spin. And try to prognosticate about What It All Means.
In the words of Anniken Skywalker, "Nooooooooooooo!!!!!!"
Oh, as for last evening's speakers? If the GOP wins the White House this fall, I sure hope Ol' Fred gets a high-visibility position. How about Press Secretary? "President don't take a dump without a plan, son."
Then there's Joe Lieberman. I really like the guy, but every time I see him speak, I half expect him to say, "Uh, now, Alf....Why did you put the lawnmower in the pool?"
September 02, 2008
Gratuitous Nats Posting
May I just point out again for the benefit of you who missed my last post on the subject over the weekend the fact that the Nats are going for their eighth win in a row tonight?
They swept the Dodgers. They swept the Braves. They took the first game off Philly yesterday. Think they can pull the sweep trifecta? Maybe, maybe not - Who knows? But I must say that I'm loving it.
Go Nats!
School Daze
Regular camelidophiles will know that for many years now I have written of our gels’ education under the gentle hand of Dr. Maria Montessori, better known here as St. Marie of the Blessed Educational Method. Well, Gentle Readers, be prepared for a shock: The 10 Year Old starts school this morning, but not at the hallowed halls of dear old St. Marie of the BEM. No, instead she is entering 5th Grade at the Fairfax County Public School down the street from us.
Having given you a moment to pick up your collective jaws from the floor, I will explain. You see, Mrs. R and I were musing of educational matters a few weeks back and were forced to face some hard truths:
First of all, were the gel to remain at St. M of the BEM, she would, in fact, have been the oldest child in the school. And indeed, although there would have been a fair number of kids in her class (it being a mixed upper elementary group), there would have been only a handful of other actual 5th Graders, and no 6th Graders. Now although I love my eldest daughter dearly, I am not so blind to her personality as not to recognize that she is emphatically not what one would call Senior Prefect material. Not only does she need a larger group of contemporaries, she also still needs some older kids about to serve as examples and, where necessary, enforcers. The truth of the matter is that the gel is something of a bully, and it strikes us that throwing her into a social mix where she is somewhat more accountable for her own behavior is not a’tall a bad move. Further, the odds are that she will be in the public system for Middle School. The more time she has to acclimate socially before facing that particular Time of Horror, the better.
Second, as regular readers also know, Mrs. R is still teaching at St. M of the BEM. Granted, this year she will not have a home room as such, but will be a floating elementary science teacher, alternating with some administrative duties as well. Thus, the gel and Mrs. R, although not constantly in the same classroom together, would still have had frequent interaction on what might be called a professional level. Careful observation has convinced both Mrs. R and me that it is high time that she began distancing herself from the gel a bit, forcing the gel to start becoming a leetle more self-reliant.
Third, the 8 Year Old is frankly getting tired of having her elder sister haunt her steps all the time. Had the elder girl remained at St. M of the BEM, the two of them would have been in the same class this year, a prospect the younger gel was definitely not looking forward to. When we told her of our decision to move her sister elsewhere this year, the younger gel’s eyes positively lit up in anticipatory delight.
Fourth, with respect to academics, the fact is that while brilliant (if I may say so), the gel is also somewhat lazy. And while St. Marie has allowed her to develop her fundamental skills very well, it is an educational method that counts a lot on self-motivation. It is high time that the gel was pushed to make more of an effort and to learn something of accountability for that effort.
So all in all, we believe that in booting the gel into the public system (which, by the bye, is quite good round here), we are doing an enormous service for everyone involved.
And how is she taking it, you may ask? Well, when we first broke the news, she was in tears. (”Change? Change?” That’s my girl!) However, when we explained the benefits, she swung right round and embraced the idea with enthusiasm. (I should add that she is fully aware of the points I make above. Although I of course express them in suitably diplomatic terms, I have never been shy about letting the gel know my opinions of her behavior: She has inherited the strain of self-delusion that lurks in my side of the family, and I consider it my primary responsibility as her father to ensure that she grows up with the ability to look herself in the face and accept the Truth. I think she knows this, and at some level is really quite grateful for my efforts.)
And so here we are. We have spent the past couple weeks conscientiously attending open houses, assembling supplies, signing up for this and that. (It helps enormously, I think, that a couple of the gel’s friends -one from Church, the other from a former soccer team- will be in her class.) And whatever she may think about it a week from now, I know that this morning the gel could hardly wait to get down to the bus stop. Of course I warned her that for all her enthusiasm I did not want her coming back two days later and saying she didn’t like it: the die is cast, as it were, and she is just going to have to accept that there is no going back.
Somehow, though I think, I think, that we are not going to have a problem.
(Cross-posted at The Port Stands At Your Elbow.)
Storm of the Century of the Week Watch
Well, it looks as if Noo Awluns dodged a major bullet with Gustav weakening and passing to the west.
Hoooooooowever, I can't help noticing that the predicted storm track of Hanna, now making her way through the Caribbean, has her rolling over the Dee Cee area some time this weekend.
Sure, she's predicted to make actual landfall somewhere in the vicinity of Hilton Head, a mere 500 miles south of here. Sure, she won't be much more than an extended thunderstorm by the time she reaches Dee Cee. But, my God in Heaven, run for your lives!!!!!!!
I seriously advised the Missus to get both this week's and next week's shopping out of the way today because I guaren-damn-tee you that folks around here are going to start panicking by tomorrow or Thursday.
Random Commuter Observation
As I ambled up E Street this morning reflecting on how the sun was shining from a distinctly different angle as it came up than a few weeks previously, the thought suddenly occurred to me: Good Lord! Where on earth did Summer go?
September 01, 2008
Bristol Palin
The news broke a few hours ago that Sarah Palin's seventeen year old daughter is five months pregnant. Several thoughts comes to mind:
1. The governor talks the talk and walks the walk--with her youngest child and now her daughter. Actions speak louder than words and the pro-life base will not hold it against her.
2. Obama's statement that Bristol Palin is off-limits and anyone crossing that line in his campaign will be fired was good. Once again, actions speak louder than words--given the ilk on the other side of the aisle, I am not optimistic that Obama's pledge will be honored. (I distinctly recall both halves of the Kedwards team dragging Dick Cheney's lesbian daughter into the debate discourse.)
3. Palin's actions and Obama's views on abortion certainly invite side-by-side comparison--the Palin family's embrace of life contrasted with Obama's statement that he would not want his daughter "punished" for a "mistake."
4. Unwanted teenage pregnancy is every parent's nightmare. Choosing life is the tougher road and the Palins deserve privacy and our prayers.
Yips! from Robbo: The LMC beat me to the punch on this one. Bully for the Palins for doing the right thing. And so far as he is actually going to enforce it, bully for Obama telling his people to back off.
My question is: Does all this mean that we're going to need to switch from the Naughty Librarian meme to the Hot Grandma** meme?
(**Spot the allusion.)
Analytical Yips! from Gary:
I think you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't at the very least know someone who's been through a similar situation. Detractors of the McCain/Palin ticket would be wise to drop the chalupa and just walk away.
