January 31, 2010
LMC FAV TURNS 46
Bridget Fonda, of course:
I have never been able to look at a gal in black cocktail dress the same way since Point of No Return:
THE SUN RISES
All is well here at the post headquarters, located amidst the vast real estate holdings which comprise Fort LMC after a winter storm dumped 9 inches of snow on Virginia Beach, the largest such event in more than 20 years. The roads are iced over but we have all of the essentials: food, booze, toilet paper, internet, and ammunition (strictly for civil disturbances).
January 29, 2010
T.J.
Brookheiser commenting on SOTU reaction over in the Corner:
The Jeffersonian tom toms are beating in the Corner, so I must respond.There are monarchical trace elements in SOTU, because there are monarchical trace elements in the presidency. It is inevitable, and often good that this should be so. They help the president assume the mask of command when that is necessary, and they put politics on an even keel.
Different presidents vary the mix, to suit their personalities and their ideologies. Jefferson submitted a written address (it was not then called SOTU) because he hated public speaking, and was not good at it.On ideological grounds he also wished to purge the presidency of what he called the monarchism of his predecessors (John Adams and Washington, though he dared not criticize Washington in public). This did not mean he was uninterested in wielding power. As his shrewdest enemies—Hamilton, John Marshall—saw, Jefferson was intent on concentrating political power in his own hands, through charisma, backstairs maneuvering, and doses of demagogy. His White House dinners were centerpieces of his strategy—small groups of congressmen, no wives, excellent food and wine, talk dominated by the host (Jefferson was a superb conversationalist). The system worked fine—except when it didn't, in his second term, when the wheels fell off. You cannot banish power and its problems from governing. You can address them honestly—or finesse them, dishonestly.
That expression - "Jeffersonian tom toms" - caught my eye and made me smile because I happened to be telling the eldest Llama-ette this morning what I thought of Jefferson (and all limousine liberals), which to say isn't very much.
January 28, 2010
Fearless Llama Prediction
She Who Must Not Be Named launches a primary challenge in 2012. Probably wins it, too.
Piggyback Prognostication Yips! from Gary:
SWMNBN will resign her current post by Labor Day of this year citing differences between herself and Captain Fantastic over the Administration's policy towards Iran (herself being the more hawkish - and rightly so). By then the tea leaves will be broadcasting loud and clear how wounded the November elections will leave her boss. It won't be pretty. And she'll immediately (though remarkably quietly) begin to assemble her core "team".
Look for former Clintonistas to start disavowing the Obama Administration's foreign policy in general as early as Memorial Day. Ol' Serpenthead** will be one of the first.
**spot the origin of this reference
LONG DISTANCE DEDICATION
Mark Steyn at NRO links to a story about disillusioned ObamaGirl which, of course, calls out for this timeless treasure of good loving gone bad:
January 27, 2010
"INDUSTRY OF THE DAMNED"
KMR's rather apt description of the financial services industry these days. Some days it seems like I am one of the condemned men, destined to row until I rot:
Other days, it is honor and glory if we win, shame and dishonor if we do not:
Forgive Me, Marisa
for forgetting that you turned 45 last month. Another brunette who is aging gracefully:
Gratuitous Lunchtime Observation
Starting this month, Dee Cee put into effect a 5 cent tax on all paper and plastic bags handed out by local food stores, including the eateries where Robbo picks up his noon fodder. It is claimed that this is meant to help cut waste and raise money to clean up the Anacostia River.
Frankly, I don't really mind that much ponying up an extra nickel to have something to carry my sammich and chips back to the office. What I do mind is the fish-eye I'm getting from some cashiers when I ask for a bag. It's like asking if they'd mind if I spit in the salad bar.
Gratuitous Luddite Observation
A puff piece about Apple's unveiling of its new "tablet" today:
The long-anticipated Apple multimedia tablet is expected to take center stage this morning as the Cupertino computer maker unveils its next new thing for the tech-hungry masses.Apple CEO Steve Jobs arrived about 9 a.m. in a black Lincoln outside San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
Reporters and analysts started had gathering about 7:45 a.m. for the 10 a.m. event. In the lobby, long tables draped with black tablecloths were topped with silver MacBooks. Apple employees were taking pictures with their iPhones of the growing media crowd.
Anand Rudraxi of Fremont, a 30-year-old software engineer, arrived at about 7:45 a.m. hoping to get in to the invitiation-only event. "I would like to know
Live online Wednesday what Steve Jobs is presenting," Rudraxi said. "It's exciting for me."McGraw-Hill's CEO spoke on CNBC on Tuesday and appeared to confirm speculation that Apple will indeed unveil a tablet computer running on iPhone software during a highly anticipated media event this morning.
Harold McGraw, the company's chief executive, was discussing his company's earnings on the cable television business news channel. When asked about the tablet, McGraw said Apple will "make their announcement tomorrow on this one" and that "the tablet is going to be based on the iPhone operating system."
Yes, but what exactly is it supposed to do? Looks like a whole lot of sizzle and not much steak to me.
A friend at the Metro this morning said it means the end of paper publishing. I said they can have my books when they pry them out of my cold, dead fingers.
Feh.
January 26, 2010
What Can Woolly Do For You?
Yes, orgleicious camelidia delivered right to your door!
This photo reminds me of a road trip Mrs. Robbo organized a few years ago to celebrate ol' Robbo's birthday (I forget which one), that included all the senior staff of Llama Central. It was pretty much like that.
Today happens to be yet another of Robbo's birthdays (45, if you're keeping score at home). Mrs. Robbo has struck once again in organizing festivities, although this time it's just a dinner down the local pub instead of further afield. However, I have it on authority that the LMC has been granted a weekend pass to leave the vast but secure holdings of Fort LMC to come on up and join the fun. (We almost - almost - got Steve-O, too.)
(Yips! to Paul P. for tossing the pic in the Tasty Bits (TM) Mail Sack.)
January 25, 2010
Apropo of nothing. . .
Your shallow LMC gives you Rosario Dawson:
I served with a CHiP in Baghdad whose ambition was to bump into Rosario at an LA Starbucks--truly a worthy goal if there ever was one.
Doing Our Part
Scientists at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research have discovered that llama antibodies may be able to fight off seven different types of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs). BoNTs are the only toxins on the federal Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention's top list of potential bioterror threats. These llama antibodies, called single domain antibodies (sdAb) or “nanobodies”, are different than those found in humans. They’re molecularly flexible. “As such, sdAb may allow biosensors to be regenerable and used over and over without loss of activity. Also, for some types of BoNT, conventional antibodies are not generally available and we are filling this biosecurity gap,” said Dr. Andrew Hayhurst, a virologist a the biomedical research facility in Texas. "We not only aim to use the antibodies in BoNT detection tests, but also to understand how they bind and inhibit these fascinating molecules," Hayhurst said. Not only do researchers hope to use the llama antibodies to help fight bioterrorism, but also to develop future anti-botulism treatments.
Just imagine the practical applications! I can envision us going about like Jack Bauer, yelling "Get on the ground - NOW!!" and then spitting.
All for the cause of national security, of course.
January 24, 2010
Being A Huge NY Giants Fan
You would think I'd be a gracious New York sports fan and root for the "other team" that plays at the Meadowlands - rejoicing in their victories and wallowing in their defeats.
You would think that.
But you'd be wrong.
A salute to all the "gang green" fans out there this fine evening:
Dear America: We WARNED You
But you refused to listen.
Thank heavens we've reached the point where people aren't afraid to admit that this country made a huge mistake at the end of 2008. From the NY Post's Michael Goodwin:
" It's all smoke and mirrors, bells and whistles, held together with glib talk, Chicago politics and an audacious sense of entitlement.At the center is a young and talented celebrity whose worldview, we now know, is an incoherent jumble of poses and big-government instincts. His self-aggrandizing ambition exceeds his ability by so much that he is making a mess of everything he touches.
He never advances a practical idea. Every proposal overreaches and comes wrapped in ideology and a claim of moral superiority. He doesn't listen to anybody who doesn't agree with him.
After his first year on the job, America is sliding backwards, into grave danger at home and around the world. So much so that I now believe either of his rivals, Hillary Clinton or John McCain, would have made a better, more reliable and more trustworthy president.
They warned us he wasn't ready."
The beauty is that (with special thanks to MA Senator Scott Brown) it's not too late to fix things. Americans can rip control of at least one of the houses of Congress this November and put the brakes on this silliness.
Even Blue State freelance writer Jill Dorson admits she bought a bill of goods:
"I wanted something new. Something different. What I got was, I suppose, exactly what I voted for - a spin doctor. And not a very good one at that......I am ashamed to say that I was blinded by charisma. Obama was so convincing that I stopped caring about what he knew and started getting caught up in the euphoria. Imagine having a president who came from a broken home, who had money troubles, who did grass-roots community service? A young father. The first black president. It pains me to admit I got caught up in the hoopla...
...It was clear after just 90 days what a mistake I'd made. My taxes have gone up and my quality of life has gone down. Hope has given way to disgust and I see now that change is simply a euphemism for "big government."
Like many others, my view is narrow. I vote for the candidate I think will be best for me. I often define myself as a fiscal conservative and a social liberal. But above all, I want to feel safe and I don't want to feel that I am being ripped off. I want a president who inspires me and cares about my contribution to the fabric of the country. I want a president with experience and savvy, a Commander in Chief who puts our country and its citizens first.
I only hope the Republicans can find him the next time around."
If the President continues to hunker down and insulate himself within his self-made bubble, "buyer's remorse" will probably become less the exception and more the rule.
UPDATE:
Inspired by ChrisN's comment - behold Tim The Enchanter! (the money quote kicks in around the 1:20 mark):
NOTE TO SELF: NEVER START A PROJECT AT 4:00 PM ON A SATURDAY
Because it may be 1:00 the next mornign before I finally hit the rack. Last summer, Robbo and the Missus generously gave us their side-by-side Samsung Warp 9 do-everything fridge when the kitchen at Orgle Manor was redone. We put the Samsung in the garage here at the post headquarters (located, of course, amidst the vast real estate holdings which comprise Fort LMC) and used it to hold beer, soft drinks, and other overflow items. My bride liked it better than the Kenmore refrigerator in the kitchen, a nondescript black model which only keeps frozen stuff frozen, and cold stuff cold and often commented we should switch the units. Last night, we did. Of course, I had to take off the doors of both units to get them through the exterior doors, purchase a hand truck to manuever both by myself, cut the water off when I ruptured the supply line for the fridge water and ice-maker, et cetera, et cetera. We finally put everything where it belongs but not after much effort, drama, a few choice words which should not be repeated in front of clergy or small children. Needless to say, there were many times when I wished I left well enough alone.
Yips! from Robbo: Sorry, buddy. My Good Intentions Paving Company only seems to be able to take contracts on roads going in one particular direction. On the other hand, we just got a boat-load of Spendulus money from The One, so we got that going for us.
January 23, 2010
January 22, 2010
Sooper-Sekret Message to Gary
I can't tell you how pleased I am that our very own Ex-Donk is back in the fold and serving up fresh helpings of skreedy Llama goodiness.
However, I must admit that I'm just a leeetle concerned that his hiatus might have left him a bit rusty, so in order to help him ease back in to things I will just remind him that today is Diane Lane's birthday.
Gary, I think you know what to do......
Disturbing Celebrity Life-Crush Yips! from Gary:
Oh Dammit!
And I had this set on my Outlook calendar and everything! And this is a big one, too. Gentlemen, Ms. Diane Lane - 45 years HOT today!!
Easy Going
Sexy
Sassy
and Sweet.
And here's a new one:
Happy Birthday Hon!
You complete me.
Gratuitous Commuter Observation
It would seem that the latest Storm of the Century of the Week headed into Your Nation's Capital has fizzled out. Therefore, the National Right to Life marchers today will only have to put up with the usual late-January Dee Cee beastliness instead of the extra-chunky variety.
Speaking of lives, though, the way some of these folks wander through traffic in apparent oblivion sometimes suggests to me downright recklessness regarding their own.
UPDATE: Yikes! It's the Virtual March for Life!
January 21, 2010
Ding, Dong, The Bill Is Dead!!!
Despite all the scheming and finagling behind the scenes, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has publicly admitted the inevitable – the only chance to ram the Obamacare monstrosity through to the President’s desk ain’t gonna happen.
“’In its present form without any changes I don't think it's possible to pass the Senate bill in the House,’ Pelosi said, adding, ‘I don't see the votes for it at this time.’Pelosi's remarks signaled that advancing health legislation through Congress will likely be a lengthy process — despite Democrats' desire for a quick election-year pivot to address jobs and the economy, which polls show are the public's top concern.
‘We're not in a big rush,’ Pelosi said. ‘Pause, reflect.’”
In other words, her caucus has made it quite clear that they have no intention of walking the plank for this mess. And this comes less than twenty-four hours after Pelosi’s insistence that one way or another the Obamacare bill WILL pass. She’s already reflected and the conclusion is: it’s over. She and the rest of the leadership will continue to pay lip service to the notion of health care reform but as a practical matter this won’t so much as come up for a procedural vote again the rest of the year.
Maybe, never again. Though one should never say never again if they couldn’t do this now, then when could they ever?
With about 10 months to go until the mid-term elections in November, it is highly doubtful that the rank and file members of this party are going to bother trying to go back to the drawing board. The majority of the American people want only one thing from a health care reform bill: lower health care costs - and NOT at the price of higher taxation. Democrats have no incentive to deliver this. They’d rather have control of over a sixth of the country’s GDP, doling out their version of health care as they see fit, fundamentally changing the very structure of the system and enhancing their own power.
Oh sure, the leadership (at the President’s behest) may wait hopefully for the “anger” to blow over and try to craft a stealthier version that would act as a Trojan Horse for future changes. But the GOP leadership in both the House and Senate (God bless Mitch McConnell) will shut that down, but good. And it’ll give Republican candidates something to highlight and beat on like a cheap pinata.
So where does that leave Democrats for the rest of this Congress? Cap and Trade? Uh-uh. Immigration reform? Yeah, right. How about a second Spendulus bill? To quote Dana Carvey’s Bush 41: “Not gonna do it. Wouldn’t be prudent.”
I would expect the Congress to become paralyzed in an electoral funk hoping to minimize the damage control over the next year’s polling numbers. I definitely expect the angry Left to become angrier. And I hope above all political hopes that the rest of the GOP has paid careful attention to the successful Scott Brown campaign.
But take heart, gentle readers, that after all of the gut-wrenching back and forth throughout this scary power-grab attempt we can finally say those words.
Obamacare is history.
For No Particular Reason
other than I feel like it:
The ever-lovely Rachel Weisz.
Yips! from Robbo: Let's go to the NSFW videotape! (Yips! to ChrisN for the link.)
Spin Offs
I've seen a fair bit of speculation over the past few days about whether The One, given the blowback his radical agenda is suffering and will continue to suffer in this fall's elections, will "pivot" back toward the center and seek to take a more compromising approach. Many cite the example of Bill Clinton after the '94 elections.
Well, although I think it would be a good thing for the country, I'll believe it when I see it. And I especially think the Clinton comparison is a poor one. For one thing, Clinton came into the White House after many years' experience getting sworn in and thrown out as governor of Arkansas, where he learned the art of effective management. Obama has no such experience whatever, and I think his rookie status is becoming more and more clear all the time.
More important, though, is their difference in temper. Although Bubba was generally a left-leaning kind of guy, his only real political passion was himself. In order to ensure that the Big He always came out on top, he was perfectly willing to be flexible when he felt he had no other choice. Obama, on the other hand, is an ideologue. He actually believes that Second-Coming-of-FDR stuff. Given this, it strikes me that he would have a much harder time admitting to a mistake or settling for half-measures.
I could be wrong, of course, and in the end self-preservation might win out over conviction, but as I say, I'm not holding my breath just yet.
January 20, 2010
Gratuitous Off-Topic Question
How can the Pro Bowl be scheduled for the week before the Super Bowl this year? Surely that will take out any player from either team playing for the championship. I mean, what coach is going to risk getting his stars banged up the week before the Big One?
If such SB-bound players get some kind of honorary PB status - maybe suiting up and running one token play in the Pro Bowl, for instance, or even just being included on one of the rosters - doesn't that unfairly take away slots from other potential picks? Or has the League bumped up the number of players to be selected in anticipation that a given number won't be able to play?
On the other hand, if such players are not allowed to play because their teams have been good enough to make it to the Super Bowl, surely their denial of recognition in the Pro Bowl format is somewhat perverse.
I haven't researched this at all, so maybe there are answers to all these questions already, but on the face of it moving the Pro Bowl up seems to me a pretty stupid idea.
Of course, I've always thought the Pro Bowl itself to be a pretty stupid idea.
Gratuitous Morning After Posting (TM)
Wow.
Several different lines come to mind:
- Today, we all wear the bloody sock.
- The Unicorn has left the building.
- It's the turn of the tide. The storm is coming, but the tide has turned.
- Earn this.
- Great, kid, but don't get cocky.
Seems to me to about cover things.
January 19, 2010
And Because I Am A Fiercely Proud ABBA Fan...
...and because I just can't resist. Allow me to present our Tuesday Election Day musical selection in tribute to Obamacare - "Muriel's Wedding" Edition (Oh, look it up on IMDB.com):
Inspired by: Allahpundit at Hotair.com
The People (of Massachusetts) Have Spoken!
And the statement here is "Stop f'ing around in D.C. and start LISTENING to us! This is NOT the "change" we voted for." Of course, the only change I voted for was for a female VP with nice calves.
The voters of Massachusetts have got a FEVAH! And the only prescription - is:
MORE COWBELL!!!!!!
AP CALLS IT FOR BROWN
So this performance by the Boston Pops seems particularly appropriate:
Marcia-Marcia bites the dust. Next to go, the French-looking senator who, I am informed, served briefly in Vietnam.
Oops
World Misled Over Himalayan Glacier Meltdown
A WARNING that climate change will melt most of the Himalayan glaciers by 2035 is likely to be retracted after a series of scientific blunders by the United Nations body that issued it.Two years ago the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a benchmark report that was claimed to incorporate the latest and most detailed research into the impact of global warming. A central claim was the world's glaciers were melting so fast that those in the Himalayas could vanish by 2035.
In the past few days the scientists behind the warning have admitted that it was based on a news story in the New Scientist, a popular science journal, published eight years before the IPCC's 2007 report.
It has also emerged that the New Scientist report was itself based on a short telephone interview with Syed Hasnain, a little-known Indian scientist then based at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi.
Hasnain has since admitted that the claim was "speculation" and was not supported by any formal research. If confirmed it would be one of the most serious failures yet seen in climate research. The IPCC was set up precisely to ensure that world leaders had the best possible scientific advice on climate change.
I'd say the IPCC has pretty much jumped the polar bear.
Vaya Con FIOS
Spent several hours yesterday with a Verizon techie as he wired up Orgle Manor with FIOS. As we were fiddling about with the intertubes and email installation, I had to apologize for the slowness of my computer. I said I imagined it had picked up all sorts of viruses and whatnot over the years and we really needed to have it overhauled.
He replied that there were a number of other things I might consider trying first. For instance, when was the last time I defragged the hard drive?
"Defrag?" I replied, "I thought that was something disgruntled troops did to unpopular officers back in 'Nam."
You know, it's a real shame more people don't have a sense of humor.
January 18, 2010
It's No Longer A Question of "Will He?" Or Even "Can He?"
At this point, it's merely "by how much?". Scott Brown will be elected the next U.S. Senator of the People's Republic of Massachusetts.
Even the White House - Mr. Incredible's appearance yesterday notwithstanding - has all but thrown in the towel. Brown has the momentum, the grassroots intensity and the groundswell of support against the Pelosi-Reid-Obama axis that screams (to quote Howard Beale) "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!!!"
51% of the electorate of this bluest of Blue States is made up of Independents. And I'm willing to bet the next paycheck that a vast majority of these "independents" are Ex-Donks like myself who are sick and tired of the Uber-Left party machine thugs telling us what we need to do on election day.
They'll try to steal it - but it won't be close. They'll try to stall and deny Brown his seat for a time - but it's a losing battle, and it will only hurt them worse. War has been declared on the 111th Congress. The battle is joined.
Prepare for a second "shot heard 'round the world" tomorrow evening.
This one's gonna leave a mark.
TIME TO REMIND MARCIA-MARCIA OF A LITTLE GHANDI
One saying attributed to the Mahatma seems particularly apropos: "First they ignore you, then they mock you, then they fight you, then you win."
BROWN WITH THE WIND AT HIS BACK
Check out this link to SEIU members for Brown. Via Another Black Conservative. Union members who will not toe the party line can only mean this thing is going down the tubes for Marcia-Marcia.
24
Jack is back and so is Dave Barry's blog on all things Bauer. Tonight, the second installment of the season premiere. See you at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, "Thigh-Shootin' Time." Just for the hell of it, here is Kim:
Dammit! Yips! from Gary:
And I think we got the first thigh-shot at about seventy minutes in last night!
And just for the halibut, I got your cheesecake right here:
January 15, 2010
Open Mouth. Squeeze Trigger.
Floundering Martha Coakley accuses "back-alley-time-gentlemen" Sawx pitcher Curt Schilling of being a Yankees fan:
Words fail me. The closest local parallel that comes to mind would be a Virginny candidate commenting on Bobby Lee's invaluable loyalty to the Army of the Potomac.
Yips! to the Politico via Ace.
UPDATE GOLD: Schilling responds:
[N]ever, and I mean never, could anyone ever make the mistake of calling me a Yankee fan. Well, check that, if you didn’t know what the hell is going on in your own state maybe you could….
From Out Of Nowhere
Scott Brown leads in Massachusetts and is pulling in a million dollars a day. (Via Fox.)
Campaign ad with Rudy from the campaign site--
Robbo Is Currently Listening To.....
Having read the political columns this morning seems to have put it into my head for some reason.
'Faced
Mr. John Derbyshire puts words to a thought that has been perkilating in the mind of Robbo for some time now:
I still don't get Facebook. What's it for? A lot of people want to be my Facebook friend, whatever that means, and I appreciate their kindness; but I still don't know what to do with it.
We Llamas get invitations to join up in the ol' Tasty Bits (TM) Mail Sack sometimes. I also get them on my home and work email accounts.
Like the Derb, I appreciate the thought, but I don't see the point. Such invitations thus get pitched without much ado.
January 14, 2010
The Winds Of Change Are A Blowin'
In Massachusetts, that is.
With the wind seemingly at his back, the fired up grassroots support for Scott Brown in the People's Soviet of MA may actually elected a...gasp...Republican next Tuesday.
And the opposition, scratching their heads as to how this could be happening, are in a panic.
Via Geraghty the Indispensable, I give you this great "mock" ad that pretty much sums up the Dem strategy at this point:
Heh.
Cautionary Yips! from Robbo:
I love what Brown is doing and the challenge he has run (indeed, I think fellahs like Brown are the true New Face of the GOP) but I have to admit that all the national attention that the race has attracted this week makes me a bit nervous. To quote Arrowshirt:
Against the True King Sorhed's workin'
So play your cards close to your jerkin,
For fortune strums a mournful tune
For those whose campaigns peak too soon.
Eh?*
I worry that the one thing that might motivate otherwise lethargic Donk supporters - both in Masshole Land and nationwide - to get out and smack him down is the suddenly very real risk that he might win.
* Bored of the Rings. Harvard Lampoon. Read it.
January 13, 2010
Wake the Kids and Phone the Neighbors!
You have to sign up for it and have it sent to your email box. It'll give you some idea of how excited I am about this that, despite my usual aversion to such subscription hijinx, I did so without a murmur.
Says Jonah of his return to The Couch:
The sample issue was written under duress. Jack Fowler was standing there like Kris Kristofferson in "Payback" making threats about what parts of my anatomy he was going to feed me next, while Chris McEvoy pancaked my toes with a hammer. But don't let my suffering stand in the way of your enjoyment.Sign up now. You know what they say, every time a reader signs up for my newsletter, an angel gets its wings but Goldberg doesn't make a dime.
Woo Hoo!
January 12, 2010
Happy Birthday To The Seventh Python!
Carol Cleveland born this day in 1942.
Because sometimes it got tiring watching grown British men in drag. Carol was the unsung comedic goddess of the Monty Python troupe who stirred the nascent hormones of us young lads who one day discovered that PBS had more than just muppets and Bill Moyers.
In tribute to Ms. Cleveland, I present - The "Marriage Guidance Counselor" Sketch:
And Now For Something Completely Different Yips! from Robbo: Yes, indeedy. She also gets the Good Sport Award as far as I'm concerned for dealing with that gang of lunatics.
But speaking of young lads and nascent hormones, there was always the question of Carol Cleveland vs. Connie Booth.
Brown Rises In Massachusetts
Read this from National Review. Rush gave Brown some good press on today's show. A seat that looked like a Dem lock is looking competitive. NR reports Coakley's internal polling puts Brown now within five points. Closing in fast . . .
Poll On Obama Presidency: Glass Is Half Full…Of Failure
A CNN poll puts assessment of Obama at a flip of a coin:
“Forty-eight percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Tuesday say Obama's presidency has been a failure so far, with 47 percent saying Obama has been a success. The poll's January 12 release comes just 8 days before Obama marks one year in the White House.”
Ouch.
The poll has a margin of error at 3% so the numbers could have easily been flipped 47% failure – 48% success. But then again let’s keep in mind that this is a CNN poll we’re talking about.
Imagine what the real number might be.
"It's not Ted Kennedy's seat, it's the people's seat"
Sound bite from the Massachusett's Senate debate. Via Hot Air.
January 11, 2010
Leaning On A Thin Reid
This evening found Robbo loitering about the U.S. Airways terminal at Reagan National, awaiting the return of the just-turned-ten-year-old from a weekend jaunt with her grandmother down in Flaridah.
As is usually the case these days, the terminal was inundated with the sight and sound of CNN. And this evening, in particular, CNN had reached saturation point with the story of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid shooting off his mouth ill-advisedly about The One's skin tone and accent.
The coverage, almost needless to say, was spinning so hard in Reid's favor that it probably produced its own carbon footprint.
Now frankly, this in itself would not bother me in the least. And personally, I think calls for Reid to resign are, frankly, silly. However, what caused my toes to involuntarily curl and my b.p. to spike as I listened to Wolf Blitzer and his pals bloviate on Reid's upstanding innocence is the knowledge that, had it been someone from the other side of the aisle who had let fall such un-p.c. words, Wolf and all of his buddies would have been howling for said someone's scalp.
I mean, seriously. What sort of treatment do you think, say, Sarah Palin would get from the MSM for saying, "Barack Obama could get elected because he was a 'light-skinned' African American 'with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.'"
That's the thing that kills me.
I Have GOT To Get Me A Copy Of This Book
Looks like this thing is so chock full of juicy bits of Dem-curdling goodness – like this excerpt chronicling the unsavory story of super-phoney egomaniacal slip-n-fall trial lawyer John “they loooove me” Edwards – I can’t wait to read the whole thing.
Yeah there are the obligatory shots at Sarah Palin by McCain’s handlers, blah, blah, blah, but we’ve already heard about that silly back-biting nonsense ad nauseum. Old news and boring with a capital “B” compared to the rest of this tome – including the condescending “Negro dialect” stuff from Dingy Harry Reid.
The best part of all this is how clear it seems that Democrats never saw this coming.
Oh, how well I remember the slings and arrows of vitriol that Bush had to put up with while he was in office. The worm has turned.
Shadenfreude!!
Crossing The Streams
I'm not quite sure what to make of the fact that Julie Andrews and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson are going to be in the same movie, but I'm pretty certain it can't be a good thing.
And what's with The Rock, anyhoo? He was going to be the successor to Der Ahnold and revive cheesy barbarian flicks. He was going to be the next tough-guy action hero. Seems all he's done recently is a string of lame Disney pictures.
What's "Phish"?
Llama regular ChrisN sent a little piece of weirdness to the Tasty Bits (TM) Mail Sack. I haven't seen ol' Dr. Teeth in a long time, and it struck me as a good way to get your Monday going:
January 09, 2010
Sometimes The Suits In Hollywood Receive A Moment Of Clarity
As in, "Eh, maybe not".
"'Robocop' and 'Apes' Remakes Shelved"
Thank Gawd.
Who would play Robocop? Matt Damon, I suppose. And didn't Tim Burton already drive a stake into the heart of that Ape franchise?
Though, I must admit, Mr. Orange did steal that show.
January 06, 2010
Dude! What's For Lunch?
The local Au Bon Pain (French for "The good pain") seems to be going all retro. Yesterday when I wandered in, "A Horse With No Name" was playing over the intercom. Today it was "Love The One You're With."
What's next? "China Grove?" "Ricky Don't Lose That Number?"
Perhaps they'll start handing out bong hits as well.
Llama Fodder
So Chris Dodd announces he's not running for re-election, thereby throwing Connecticut politics into turmoil just after the announced return of our own Nutmeg State Llama to the blogging fold.
Coincidence? I doubt it.
Mid-Term Yips! from Gary:
Oh, yeah baby. The Bozrah Buffoon folded like a cheap suit.
And I was really gearing up for some searing posts this year.
Dang.
January 05, 2010
How Much Would YOU Pay? Well, DON'T!
I noticed this SmartMoney article about ten supposedly obsolete or near-obsolete consumer products that the, er, smart money says we shouldn't be bothering with any more. Here's the list, together with my thoughts:
1. DVD's - Well, I'm pretty much a Netflix junkie already. However, I do maintain a small library of my own consisting of movies I love to watch over and over again, rarities and oddities, and bargain stuff that I stumble on at random.
2. Home Telephone Service - They say the landline is dying out. I say they'll make me carry a cell when they staple it to my cold, dead hand.
3. External Hard Drives - I don't know what this means.
4. Smartphone Also-Rans - Sigh. While I am a telephone Luddite, the rest of the occupants of Orgle Manor do not share my views, with Mrs. Robbo and the elder Llama-ettes having already turned into Blackberry zombies. By the way, can I just say here how much I hate the word "app"? I put it in the same category of linguistic barbarism as "carb".
5. Compact Digital Cameras - Well, we have one but I rarely see it myself.
6. Newspaper Subscriptions - Orgle Manor is ahead of the curve on this one, as we gave Pravda On The Potomac the boot a number of years ago.
7. CD's - Says the article, "When was the last time you bought a CD or even walked into a record store?" Wull...I buy CD's all the time. Nobody has yet shown me how iTunes can come even close to duplicating the variety of classickal musick available on them. Besides, we hates iPods.
8. New College Textbooks - This makes sense. Indeed, I bought all my law school texts used. On the other hand, if like me you buy a book on the assumption you're going to keep it forever, you don't want to pick up something that's falling apart. Also, beware buying a textbook that has been previously owned and annotated by a moron. It'll get you in trouble.
The article also suggests online downloads. Do you know that at the Orgle Manor New Year's Open House, one of our guests, looking around my library, had the nerve to suggest that I ought to buy a Kindle (or whatever those digital book thingies are called)? Feh. Again, you can pry the dead-tree version out of my cold, dead hands while you're busy stapling the cell phone in.
9. Gas-Guzzling Cars - I don't even know what the standard is anymore. To me a "gas-guzzler" still means our old '72 Ford Country Squire station-wagon (with fake wood paneling), that got about 13 gallons to the mile. All I know is that I think of all Prius and Civic hybrid drivers as self-satisfied prigs.
10. Energy-Inefficient Homes and Appliances - Heck, I'd be perfectly happy to replace the forty-year-old windows and storms on Orgle Manor with something less drafty. On the other hand, I'll betcher that we have a smaller carbon foot print than ol' AlGore does.
Another Random Frozen Commuter Observation
The comic relief of my morning trudge is the fact that by the time I get to Starbucks, my cheeks and jaw are usually quite numb, making me sound like a LOLCat when I place my order:
"I kin haz tribbleladdie, prz?"
January 04, 2010
Random Frozen Commuter Observation
And global warming would be a bad thing how exactly?
Frozen tundra Yips! from Gary:
I'm with ya there, Robbo. Why oh why didn't I clean out all the crap sitting in the other half of the garage this past fall?!? Do you know how many favors I'm cashing in with the Mrs. to swap for that prized parking space under shelter every night?
Hello foot rubs.
SNOOOOOWWWW MIIIIIIIISSSEEEEEERRRR!!!!!!
January 03, 2010
Gratuitous Aging Babe Observation
Today is the birthday of Victoria Principal, born this day in 1950.
Regular Llama readers will know that we like to keep track of aging starlettes, especially those who still look good after all these years.
Weeeellll....You can google her up yourself if you like, but let's just say that the creator of Pam Ewing is not exactly among the varsity in these matters. (Small wonder that the LMC - our resident expert on these matters - gave her a miss.) So on behalf of all those other guys out there in their mid-40's who remember her fondly from her Dallas days (and you know who you are), I would propose that we instead honor the day with a quick spin in the Way-Back Machine.
January 01, 2010
Now I Understand Why My Wife Is A Little Crispy
by the time I come home. My bride picked up some bug last weekend which wiped her out, forcing me to work from home and juggle all of the duties normally executed by the Chief of Staff. The Christmas holidays complicated matters with the six and four year olds at home, not to mention their baby sister. Daddy's meal choices are never good enough for my progeny so matter how much (or little) effort goes into it. The lack of gratitude extends to cleaning, bath time, toy repair, and a host of other functions large and small.
The Blessings were further put out because Mrs. LMC's illness forced us to cancel a New Year's Eve wingding at Orgle Manor, an annual observance since 1993. They did not get to see Uncle Robbo and Aunt The Butcher's Wife and the LLama-ettes and are more than a little pissy about it.
Daddy Is Coming To Get You
and hell is coming with him. Last night, Mrs. LMC and I settled down to watch Taken where Liam Nielson plays a retired black ops operative whose daughter is kidnapped in Paris. Every father with daughters should see it.
Gratuitous New Year Observation
Well, first - Happy 2010 from the Llamas!
That being said, poor old Dick Clark reminds me more and more of the hero's mother in Brazil, who undergoes increasingly absurd and grotesque facial plastic surgery, culminating in its being completely seranwrapped.
Really, somebody needs to cart him off.
And by the way, who the hell IS Ryan Seacrest?
Image courtesy of the lovely and talented 