May 21, 2008
"WATCH OUT WORLD, BRITANNIA IS BACK"
I saw news of this recently but a post over at The Sandcrawler led me to this clip on Parliament's funding of the carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales:
l Can anyone explain the two-"island" design?Posted by: LMC at 06:45 PM | Comments (21) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Awesomely Bad Music Video
I don't even know who Catapult were, or if they were a real band. The 70's style outfits speak for themselves. This is a must see . . .
Posted by: Chai-Rista at 02:23 PM | Comments (26) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
This will lure Steve-O out into the open
Posted by: LMC at 06:25 AM | Comments (17) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
May 20, 2008
Director Shepard cashes in her chips
on NCIS. 
Lauren Holly celebrity profile
She will be missed.Posted by: LMC at 09:09 PM | Comments (24) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Funky LMC Medina
For some reason, the local radio stations have been playing an awful lot of Tone Loc
Posted by: LMC at 06:59 PM | Comments (19) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
"There You Go Again"
Posted by: Robert at 01:17 PM | Comments (26) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
"Really, 007, Must You Keep Drinking Up All The Samples?"
How'd you like to be the lab assistant for these guys?
James Bond preferred his vodka martinis "shaken, not stirred", but is there any difference? Yes - according to a psychologist and chemist who like their science with a twist. To celebrate the centenary of the birth of Ian Fleming, creator of the world's most famous secret agent, Professor Charles Spence and Dr Andrea Sella will be unveiling the secrets of 007's favourite drink and a range of other cocktails, at a lecture at the Cheltenham Science Festival next month. Prof Spence is a psychologist who has worked with molecular gastronomist Heston Blumenthal to unravel the secrets of how we interpret taste, while his fellow Bond addict is a chemist at University College London. To these aficionados, the creation and presentation of a cocktail is a true science: "molecular mixologists" can create alcoholic alchemy, from Bond's dry martini to daiquiris and beyond. Take the all-important issue of shaking rather than stirring the martini. In 1999, a group of students at the University of Western Ontario in Canada led by Colleen Trevithick (and overseen by her father John, a professor of biochemistry) decided to test Bond's preference in a series of experiments on gin and vodka martinis. They studied the martinis' ability to deactivate hydrogen peroxide - a substance used to bleach hair or disinfect scrapes, and a potent source of the free radicals linked to ageing and disease. While the detailed chemistry is not fully understood, martinis were much more effective than their basic ingredients - such as gin or vermouth - at deactivating hydrogen peroxide, and about twice as effective when shaken. The martini must contain an antioxidant that deals with the peroxide, and which works better after shaking. (The olives that are normally added might also have an effect, but were left out as being "too difficult to model".) In their analysis of the results in the British Medical Journal, the team concluded, reasonably enough, that Bond's excellent state of health "may be due, at least in part, to compliant bartenders".Read the rest for lots of other cocktail info.
Posted by: Robert at 12:32 PM | Comments (27) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Light Fuse, Stand Back
Sigh...attempting to extend human life by cheapening it.
British scientists will be allowed to research devastating diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s using human-animal embryos, after the House of Commons rejected a ban yesterday. An amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill that would have outlawed the creation of “human admixed embryos” for medical research was defeated in a free vote by a majority of 160, preserving what Gordon Brown regarded as a central element of the legislation. The Government is braced for defeat today, however, on a separate clause that would scrap the requirement that fertility clinics consider a child’s need for a father before treating patients. MPs will also consider amendments tonight that would cut the legal limit for abortion from 24 weeks to 22 or 20 weeks. A second amendment, which would have banned the creation of “true hybrids” made by fertilising an animal egg with human sperm, or vice-versa, was also defeated yesterday by a majority of 63. Another free vote last night was expected to approve the use of embryo-screening to create “saviour siblings” suitable to donate umbilical cord blood to sick children.It would all be cruelly funny if it were not so horrid. It's been a long time since I last read the Screwtape Letters, but I've got to believe there's some correspondence in there covering this sort of thing.
Posted by: Robert at 10:55 AM | Comments (23) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
You Magnificent Bastard, I'm Reading Your Book!
Well, not really, but the line was too good not to use.
Actually, what I am reading is this:
Knight's Cross: A Life of Field Marshall Erwin Rommel by David Fraser.
In fact, I've just started and am only sixty-odd pages into it, but there is something so engaging in Fraser's style that I can rarely remember being this enthusiastic about a book so early on in reading it. Some reviewers have criticized the book a bit because it is short on personal details of Rommel's life (indeed, Fraser skootches right over his youth and I'm already well into his combat experience in France, Rumania and Italy during WWI), but I don't mind since what I'm looking for is, in fact, mostly an account of his military exploits.
I've always been of the opinion that Rommel was in many ways an admirable man: honorable, upright, militarily brilliant. Even Churchill praised him - and in the middle of the war, too. Nonetheless, it's a mighty tricky proposition to be sympathetic to somebody who, after all, was a fairly senior Nazi leader - much harder than supporting, say, a Confederate general like Lee. You can certainly argue that Rommel was a German and a Soldier first and at best a lukewarm Nazi, and that he eventually paid for this with his life at the hands of Hitler's regime. But that stigma never quite goes away. Nonetheless, I do believe this is going to be an extremely enjoyable and informative book.
Posted by: Robert at 09:38 AM | Comments (28) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
May 19, 2008
LMC update
Robbo's post below and a faithful reader's response prompts me to explain the light posting over the past several months. The transition from military life in the sandbox back to civilian life has been busy. I have spent extra time with Mrs. LMC, the Future ROTC Scholarship Recipient, and Our Little Debutante. Much time has been spent reviving the law practice and immigration has taken its place in my bag of tricks. My efforts are beginning to bear fruit, much to the relief of all concerned. The Reserve career is up and running again with activities divided between a graduate program through the U.S. Army War College and my role as my Reserve command's emissary to TRADOC. I enjoy it but I am ever-conscious of being closer to the end of my military career than the beginning. I joined the American Legion and the VFW, although I wonder when I will fit them in.
All things considered, I am no worse for the wear for my sojourn in the Middle East, with the exception of a little hearing loss and an unbreakable habit of "combat-parking" the cars. I marvel every day at the things we take for granted that are almost unimaginable luxuries to the people of Iraq--most of all the very freedom that has propelled this nation to a standard of living unknown in history. My wonder is tempered by the knowledge that the world is a very dangerous place, evil men hate us, and freedom must be guarded with unending vigilance. Much has been said of the younger generation, the twentysomethings--that they are slackers, less disciplined, less capable of shouldering the burden passed down to them. I saw the best of them in Baghdad and I am here to tell you they have what it takes to "bear any burden, pay any price, support any friend, oppose any foe, to ensure the survival and success of liberty." I am proud to say I was with them. Old Glory flies on a new flagpole in front of the post headquarters, located as always amidst the vast real estate holdings which comprise Fort LMC. It is an all-weather flag and a light shines on it every night. It will stay there 24 hours a day, every day, and nothing less than a hurricane coming ashore will persuade me to take it down. One of these days I will place a marker at the base which will simply read: FOR THOSE WHO SERVED. I will endeavor to post more often and there is much which deserves comment. Please be understanding though if I often dwell on things people prefer not to discuss. We are at war and we had better not forget it.Posted by: LMC at 07:48 PM | Comments (21) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Heh, Eh?
If you read us Llamas, you probably also read James Taranto's daily Best of the Web over at OpinionJournal.Com so this this post may come straight from the Department of Redundancy Dept., but I was mighty tickled by this "Homer Nods" entry today:
In an item Friday, we said that Canada has seven states. As Canada still uses the metric system, it would have been more precise to say that it has 10 provinces, which is the equivalent of approximately seven states.Nice one, buddy.
Posted by: Robert at 03:28 PM | Comments (21) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Good For What Ails Ya
Recently I've been grumbling a bit about the apparent drop in lloyal llama readership. Our pal Babs sent in this thought to the Tasty Bits (TM) Mail Sack:
You complain about a drop off of readership. I think a large part of this is your hosting site, munu. I have either been blocked or disqualified from posting a comment over the last several months. I don’t know why. I would be surprised to learn that my potential comments are somehow “risqué” or, out of the limits of a PG 13 site. Instead, I find that my comments are disallowed by some un understandable standard that merely inhibits my interaction with your site. A blog site is a two way street. You post, I comment. If I am not allowed the pleasure of making a comment then, your site loses its attraction. Take Hatemongers Quarterly as an example. What happened to their poetry contest? I even submitted an admittedly horrible poem to them. I no longer care who won because their site is so hard to interact with. I want more gardening!!! You know that already but, the fact that I am unable to comment on almost anything you post makes my interaction with you all the less valuable. I wish Steve would come back! I wish LMC would give us more of his experience in the sandbox or, just tell us what he has been up to or the military in general. I TRUST THE LLAMAS to say it the way it is but, the restrictions placed on the site in the last several months make it very difficult to interact. I read you every day but, something valuable has been lost and I think it is a combination of your posting and your hosting site.But commenter Bill has another take on things:
No sign of Melissa Theuriau in your columns for months, and you're scratching your head over low readership?Well, I can't do anything about Moo-Knew technical difficulties and so far Steve-O has been resistant to my suggestions that he get back in the water. But as for Melissa? Yes. I think Bill may very well be on to something. So here ya go. Enjoy! Mmmmmm.....Melissa......mmmmmmm
Posted by: Robert at 11:57 AM | Comments (35) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
In This Version, Aslan Drives A Cool Talking Car
The eldest Llama-ette is off today with her class from St. Marie of the Blessed Educational Method to go see Prince Caspian. I had to remind her again this morning to refrain from shouting out (and criticizing) everything that the movie does differently from the book. (Funny, I know exactly what kind of movie date she's going to be when she gets older. And I can already see the boy rolling his eyes.)
Anyhoo, it seems apropos that regular reader Mike should shoot along this NRO article by Frederica Mathewes-Green. Her subject? Heresy!Every once in awhile, a movie improves on the book on which it is based. In my bold opinion, Prince Caspian, the second Disney film drawn from C. S. Lewis’s beloved Chronicles of Narnia, is such a movie. Criticism of C. S. Lewis is rightly taboo, but facts are facts: Prince Caspian, the book, is a dud. It was the second to be written in the series, and it’s rushed and thin. You’ll remember from the first book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, that the four Pevensie siblings find their way into the land of Narnia through a mysterious wardrobe. In Prince Caspian they are called back to Narnia again, where they must help young Prince Caspian claim his rightful throne. Unfortunately, they land nowhere near Caspian, so most of the book is occupied with the Pevensies’ struggle to cross mountains and rivers to get to him. (The action also pauses for four chapters so that a dwarf can fill us in on Prince Caspian’s life so far.) When they finally meet Caspian there is a brief battle and a happy ending, and before you know it you’re running into the opening pages of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (a much better book). Prince Caspian, the movie, fixes all this. It knits a whole lot more story around that spare frame, and the plot gains traction while the characters gain complexity. The movie is just plain better than the book.Now I, myself, have written here before that I thought Prince Caspian to be the weakest book in the Narnia cycle, and for many of the reasons cited here. But still - the book is the book. Don't mess it about. If you think you can "improve" on the story, then go out and write your own, dammit. We hates this kind of cannibalization. Go read the rest of the article in which Ms. M-G discusses other examples of movies-better-than-the-book. Not expecting the Spanish Inquisition? Just see what she has to say about The Lord of the Rings:
Director Peter Jackson had a better idea [than Tolkien his own self!]. He saw the essential beauty of the story, and brought it to the screen unimpeded.Fetch the comfy chair! Look, the trooth of the matter is that this is a very silly argument to begin with. Books-to-movies is an apples and oranges comparison and it's downright goofy to say that one is "better" than the other. But the argument's also corrosive, IMHO. We already live in an age that demands instant, passive gratification. Books require active thought, imagination and a lot of time. Movies require much less time and that we sit back and let someone else do the dreaming and thinking for us. What possible good do people like Ms. M-G suppose they're doing by encouraging such behavior? (And yes, saying "the movie is better than the book" will encourage most people simply to forget about the book.)
Posted by: Robert at 09:32 AM | Comments (28) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
The Messiah Has Spoken
"We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times ... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK," Obama said. "That's not leadership. That's not going to happen," he added.Translation: "I'll tell you how much you can drive your SUV, how much you can eat and how much central air you can use because those sort of decisions shouldn't be left up to you. Individual freedom is a relative thing here." And just when did he decide that our energy consumption should get the international stamp of approval? China is the biggest polluter in the world and yet they would be exempt from the Kyoto restrictions. Do they give a rat's rump whether or not WE are going to say OK? Leadership doesn't mean assuming the role of a "red shirt" from Star Trek. This "you go first" crap ain't gonna fly.
Posted by: Gary at 08:36 AM | Comments (36) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
May 18, 2008
BSG, again
Am I correct that "The Hybrid" aboard the rebel Cylon base ship (by that I mean the chick in the white body suit who never leaves the sunken hot tub) is the ship's captain, senior staff, and main computer all rolled into one?
Posted by: LMC at 02:28 PM | Comments (31) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
May 17, 2008
Gratuitous Domestic Posting (TM) - Outdoor Division
I hate clover.
Oh, sure. It looks cute, sitting there all rounded and cheery and gosh, if you find a four-leafed one you are soooo in luck. Pah! It's eeeeevil, I tell you. Currently, the stuff is trying to take over my garden. And its malevolent spirit is revealed in the fact that it is most heavily concentrated right where I've got foxglove and cosmos seedlings coming up. It knows that I can't simply spray it or plow it under, but must spend hours and hours - if I want to save my babies - picking it out one plant at a time. "Oi, a real innerestin' choice o' specimens you've got there, squire. Be a real shame if sumfin 'appened to em now, wunnit?" Bastards. It's said that St. Patrick used the clover to explain the Trinity to the aboriginal Irish. No doubt he though he was doing the Lord's work, but I can't help thinking that by employing this noxious devil-weed, he was in fact inadvertently spreading some kind of sooper sekret message that came straight from the hot place.Posted by: Robert at 04:46 PM | Comments (34) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Gratuitous Domestic Posting (TM) - Proud Papa Division
A certain ten year old Llama-ette, who had had to be spoken to pretty sharply earlier in the season about either a) putting more effort into soccer or b) quiting the team, got her very first genuine goal this morning. She was playing right wing, and after getting a neat pass from her center, calmly picked her shot and put it into the corner of the net. I'm pretty durn proud of her, but not half so proud as she is of herself. And not only is she proud because she actually got the goal, but also because she knows she got it by starting to seriously apply herself. Nothing quite like the knowledge of a job well done to give one a boost.
The gel's team won 5-3, bringing them to 5-0 for the season against some pretty stiff competition. I know that what with finally having got a score and with the pretty solid defensive work she's been putting in the past few weeks, the gel really is beginning to feel that she is a part of the whole.Posted by: Robert at 11:13 AM | Comments (28) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Nineties Retro Reunion-the Gals of MP
This is for Robbo--
Heather Locklear celebrity profile
Pic via AskMen.com Still smokin' at 47, nothing more needs to be said.Posted by: LMC at 07:00 AM | Comments (27) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
May 16, 2008
I Used To Be A "Beer Guy"
No, not a suds vendor at a ballpark. I was a beer drinker until about three years ago. At that point (right around my 38th birthday) I decided to explore the world of wine and was completely taken aback at how fascinating that world is.
A little over a year ago, I stumbled upon a site called WineLibraryTV.com - a daily video blog where the host - Gary Vaynerchuk - tastes different wines and gives us his down-to-earth and irreverent (and passionate) opinions about wine and the wine world. Highly entertaining and immensely informative, Gary Vee's vLog entries are an excellent resource for anyone who loves wine or is new to the love of the grape. Here's one of the latest. Anyone who likes, loves or is interested in wine who hasn't experienced "the Thunder show" is in for a treat:Posted by: Gary at 06:45 PM | Comments (33) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Gratuitous Domestic Posting (TM) - Olivia Cromwell Division
This morning I was chatting of this and that with the eight year old Llama-ette. As we talked, Bella the cat strategically placed herself between us so as to get pets from both sides. As Bella sat there purring, the gel mentioned that a friend of hers has a cat named Elvis.
"Uuuawwhh," I said, "Uh, I shore think that's a real purty name for a cat, darlin'. Uh, thangkyuh verrah much!" "Dad-DEEEE!" she suddenly snapped, "Don't imitate him!" "Why ever not?" I asked, completely mystified. My impression isn't the greatest, but I know it's not that lame. "Because he was bad! He drank too much and he ate too much and he did drugs and he died on the potty and he got exactly what was coming to him!" she explained rayther awfully. Yikes! "Well, sweety...," I said, a bit disoriented by this sudden outburst of Old Testament condemnation, "I don't think Elvis was necessarily a bad man. Say rather that he was a weak man who unfortunately gave into temptation and did some very bad things to himself. We should feel sorry for him." "Humph!" was her answer. What have I created?Posted by: Robert at 01:55 PM | Comments (20) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
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