American Orgle

It isn't exactly a break-out hit, but the Llamas have gotten their first dance video gig! (You can see us at about 2:00 in.) That's me on the far right of the group. Rock on!

Yips! to the lovely and talented Sarah G.

Not A Bad Weekend

Got in two 3000-yard workouts in the pool on Saturday and Sunday, a good sesson on the range, fixed the chainsaw and dropped a tree in the backyard without hitting the house. Not bad at all.

Gratuitous Commuter Observation

Regular readers will know of my long-held opinion that Murrland drivers are the worst in the country. Well, here's scientific proof to back me up:

The Capital Beltway, one of America's busiest roadways, is universally congested but only intermittently lethal. The notoriously overburdened highway is the site of nearly 3,000 accidents a year -- about eight a day -- and claims the lives of 18 people a year on average, though almost all of the fatal crashes occur along just one stretch of the 64-mile-long Beltway, the section that runs through Prince George's County on the roadway's eastern side, according to an analysis by The Washington Examiner of data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and transportation officials and police in Virginia and Maryland.

Fifty of the 58 fatal accidents on the Beltway between 2007 and 2009 occurred between the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in the south and the Interstate 95 interchange in the north, with 42 of them clustered in Prince George's County.

(Emphasis mine.) That's the Murrland side, boys and girls. The article suggests all sorts of reasons for the numbers - geography, congestion, etc. The real reason, of course, is that Murrland drivers are bat-shite crazy.

Eighties Retro Reunion

Molly Ringwalld turned 43 yesterday. Signature Eighties flic: The Breakfast Club.

Flixster - Share Movies

Whatcha Gonna Do When They Come For You?

We. Be. Bad.

911 Operator: Cleveland County 911. Griffin: Yeah… (inaudible)… in my yard… tried to attack me… It's got me hemmed up in my car out here. 911 operator: What's got you hemmed up? Griffin: A llama. 911 operator: A llama? Griffin: Yeah on Range Road. Oh God!!! Its jumping on my car now. (The 911 operator goes on to the get the exact location of the caller who said he was near Baptist Church.) 911 operator: What kind of vehicle are you in? Griffin: I'm in a gray Oldsmobile. 911 operator: Gray Oldsmobile? Griffin: He jumped me over and knocked me into… (inaudible) 911 Operator: Have you wrecked your vehicle… or does he have you stopped? Griffin: I'm in my yard. 911 operator: Ok. I've got some help on the way. Griffin: Get out of here! 911 operator: Do you know who it belongs to? (Phone goes dead.)

A few seconds later, the Llama fought the Law....and won:

Cleveland County Sheriff Detective Micah Sturgis arrived and the llama then focused its attention on his unmarked patrol car.

Sturgis immediately called dispatchers and reported: "County, I got a llama chasing me down Range Road."

The llama continued to attack the patrol car, but Sturgis refused to exit his vehicle.

"I don't know what I'm gonna do," Sturgis told the dispatcher. "Its chasing me all the way up Range Road. If you stand still, it tries to butt the car."

The article claims the Llama was named Henry, but everybody knows his real name is Steve-O.

Yips! to ChrisN, who dropped the link in the Tasty Bits (TM) Mail Sack.

Rumsfeld

There is a video clip of Rumsfeld at National Review discussing MoDo. He dismisses her as cynical. He is right.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a Rumsfeld fan. He made mistakes, he pissed a ton of people off, but he shook up the Pentagon and made a lasting, positive impression on DOD.

Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Fair winds and following seas.

Random Commuter Observation

What does one make of a teenaged stud in a souped-up VW with a sticker in the window that reads "I (Heart) Hot Moms" with a picture of some kind of hand gesture underneath.

I dunno, but I'm guessing it can't be good.

Who Is Robbo the LLamabutcher? The Movie . . .

Sorry, I meant: "Who is John Galt?" Here is the trailer for Atlas Shrugged, Part I

BTW, I never read the book.

Yips! from Robbo: Nor have I. Don't plan to see the moovie either. I fully realize that when society comes crashing down I will most likely be amongst the first against the wall but, hey, it's only life.

Dem Control of the Senate Just Got More Difficult

Senator Jim Webb (D, VA) announced he will not run for re-election in 2012. George Allen has already announced he wants his old job back.

Coming to a Theatre Near You

Transformers 3--without Megan Fox!

Flixster - Share Movies

Happy Centennial, Dutch!

Yes, today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Gipper.

I notice a number of columns attempting to push a wedge between Reagan and modern conservatives, arguing that he "was really a pragmatist" or pointing out what he would object to in this or that portion of the current agenda, and generally telling right-wingers that they're just too plain stupid to understand this. It tells you something about the historickal significance of the man when his political enemies seem to be attempting to co-opt the narrative even now.

Of course, it's all nonsense. Reagan was a man of the right. Period. Of course, the situation is different today than it was 30 years ago, so arguing specific policy points is an exercise in apples and oranges. I think what's really happening is that the more things look like Carter v.2, the more likely it is that somebody will appear on the right as the "New Reagan" and fire popular sentiment in the same way.

As for smoothing over differences, I recall very well what the Left thought of the Gipper back in the day. On my college campus, for instance, it was well-known that Ronnie Ray-gun was complicit in the downing of that Korean airliner by the Rooskies, because it was really a CIA spy-plane and if it got caught in Soviet airspace, Ron didn't want any evidence left. That was just one example. Ray-gun was also famous for throwing all the homeless into the streets, for starting WWIII and for unleashing the AIDS epidemic.

Incidentally, a portion of I-88, which runs from Chicago west to the Quad Cities, is known as the Reagan Memorial Tollway by virtue of the fact that it passes near his boyhood homes. I've been on this road numerous times in the past couple years, and every time I just can't help noticing what an unflattering profile of Reagan is featured on the signs. I often wonder why this is.

Like, Omigod! So Totally Don't, Like, Touch The Water!

Yes, it's Galadriel Barbie!

Somehow I missed this before....

Which reminds me of a question for Gary: Call me stoopid, but something just recently occurred to me: Assuming it was Galadriel who tempted Boromir - or at least guided him to recognizing the temptation within him already - with the idea of seizing the Ring himself, did she do this because she foresaw Frodo would need something to nerve himself up to head for Mordor and also knew that an attack like Boromir's was just the ticket?

If so, seems kinda hard. Boromir, meet bus.

Bottom Story of teh Day

(With apologies to Taranto.)

According to George Soros, you know who's causing the real problems in Egypt and the Middle East? You guessed it:

The main stumbling block is Israel. In reality, Israel has as much to gain from the spread of democracy in the Middle East as the United States has. But Israel is unlikely to recognize its own best interests because the change is too sudden and carries too many risks. And some U.S. supporters of Israel are more rigid and ideological than Israelis themselves. Fortunately, Obama is not beholden to the religious right, which has carried on a veritable vendetta against him. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee is no longer monolithic or the sole representative of the Jewish community. The main danger is that the Obama administration will not adjust its policies quickly enough to the suddenly changed reality.

Yup, it's the JOOOOOOOOOS!!!! Plus their knuckle-dragging, gun-toting, Bible-thumping stooges here at home. It's a wonder something hasn't been done about these pests yet.

Because You Count On The Llamas To Never Forget

I would point out to my fellow Llamas that the lovely and talented Morgan Fairchild turns 61 today.

For some reason, I've always associated her with an "older" generation. What completely gob-smacked me was the fact that Christie Brinkley turned 57 yesterday. Fifty-Seven! That's your sands o' time wake-up call right there.

Anyway, time to set the Way-Back Machine, I think.....

A Groundhog Day Point Of Order

I have to ask: Waking up day after day to meet Andie Macdowell....That's a bad thing how?

And you can keep your Tantalus references to yourselves..... She ain't a freakin' apple.

Indeed, although I've never actually stayed awake all the way through the movie, I believe that ultimately that's the point. Isn't it?

February Reminder

Time to change your Llama skins to Llamatines Day!

And somehow I get the feeling that Punxsatawney Phil will bite that top-hatted bastard when they pull him out from his winter slumber.

And how appropriate that tomorrow is Groundhog Day. Every time I turn on the weather it's the same thing over and over and over...

Weather prediction for February 2: BLEAK

Because I Can.....

At a recent dinner, this commercial somehow wandered into the conversation....

I laugh at the "jack-waggon" reference. I don't know what it means, but me likey.....

I also marvel that Geico seems to have pulled off an advertising trifecta, what with this whole series, plus the caveman bit and the Geico Gecko thing. To quote Darth Vader, "Impressive......Most impressive."