January 31, 2008
It's Never Too Early To Start Thinking About 2038
As is her wont, my eight year old was chatting at/with me this morning as I got dressed. After meandering through the chronology of past and present Orgle Manor pets and glancing briefly on the hot-button issue of a potential dog, we got on to the broader topic of her Future.
"Do you still want to be a vet when you grow up?" I asked, remembering her past enthusiasm. "No, Daddy, not anymore." "Oh? Why not?" "Weeeell," she said, "first you have to get really good grades in college." "Sure," I replied, "but I should hope you're going to want to do that anyway." "Weeeell," she said, "but then you have to go to four years of vetinary school." "True," I replied, "but you'll probably wind up doing some kind of graduate work no matter what career you choose." "Oh," she said. After chewing on that one for a minute, she said, "Daddy? Can I just get married and raise kids?" "You can certainly do that," I replied, "but first and foremost you also have to be able to take care of yourself, and that requires learning a skill and getting a job." "Oh," she said. "Well, can I have kids first and then get a job?" "I think the best plan would be to go to school, then get a job and then (after you get married of course) think about kids. Like Mom." "Hmmm." She thought about it for another minute and then said, "I know! Once I get to be thirty-five, I'll become President! And you can be my Vice President." "Well, Sweetie, there are laws against people in the same family doing that." "Oh," she said. "Well then, you can be my Special Advisor. And when I'm President, you can come and live in the White House with me." "Very well," I said, "it's a deal." Thank you in advance for your support.Posted by: Robert at 09:36 AM | Comments (18) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
January 30, 2008
Why I hate my wife: Reason #5
She heard a thing on the radio (no, scratch that: apparently, it was on NPR, which is when you listen to the radio but you have your servant turn it on for you or something? Geez, will you stop looking over my shoulder and let me type for crimminy!) that Johnny Mac's campaign was using Abba's Take a Chance on Me as a campaign song. I didn't remember it, and I, like the dumbass that I am, pulled it up on Youtube. For. The. Love. Of. Allthatisholymakeitstop!! I can't get the thing out of my friggin' head! Maybe if I pass on the love to you the voices will leave me alone. So here it is, the reason to embrace the McCain Train of Pain: ten more months of Abba:
Yips! from Robbo: I never really had that much direct exposure to ABBA. But this post brought back to mind a childhood memory: On the whole, I think I prefer your version these days..... BTW, Steve-O, you realize you're utterly dead, since the gimme reposte to your title is "Five??! What are the other four??? Stephen!!!!"Posted by: Steve-O at 06:24 PM | Comments (17) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Vacancy
Sorry, but my brain seems to have stepped out for a bit. For some reason, it has become harder and harder for me to sleep while on travel, and Sunday and Monday nights I don't think I got more than 45 minutes' worth of uninterrupted snooze time. I did much better back home at Orgle Manor last night, of course, but I'm still behind.
Thus, I'm falling back on the old blogger trick of slapping down just a few random things rattling around in my otherwise empty cranium: ***The woman who cut my hair yesterday not only insisted that the Giants/Pats game was going to be a close one, but that the Giants have a genuine shot at pulling off the upset. I hope so. I hope so. ***Do hotels that cover every square inch of their bathrooms in marble (faux or otherwise) understand the accoustic effect that such material creates? Somehow, I doubt it. Nor, apparently, do most of their patrons using such facilities. I don't believe I'm that much of a prude, but as a general rule I don't care to listen to other people's bodily functions. The couple in the room next to me the other night seemed to have some grasp of the concept, but I'm afraid they rayther overestimated how much keeping the faucet running would cover their, ah, bathtime frolics. ***There is something hi-larious yet creepy in listening to a non-parent gas on about theories of child-rearing. Recently, I was forced to hear a long diatribe about the eeeeevils of letting kids believe in Santa Claus from such an one. He thought the dishonesty was unprincipled and also sowed the seeds for later distrust of everything else told the child by the parent. Instead, he argued that children should be told Santa is a fraud from the very beginning (as part of a wider "Kantian" ideal of absolute honesty). I replied that if he took that line, his kids would be routinely beat up by their classmates when young and grow up to be prigs. (Helpful ol' Robbo. Perhaps I should start an advice column.) ***I saw a bald eagle yesterday. It was sitting in a tree on an islet in the Potomac just downstream from the Roosevelt Bridge. Very nice. ***I wish my voice were a bit lower. Whenever I read the Narnia Chronicles to the eldest Llama-ette, my Aslan keeps coming out sounding like Liam Neelsen's. I objected to his doing Aslan's voice in the movie because I didn't think it low and resonant enough, yet here I am perpetuating the same mistake. ***Speaking of movies, I introduced the elder two Llama-ettes to The Princess Bride last Friday evening. Instant hit. "Inconceivable!" is now rising fast in the household lexicon. ***I finished Stanley Loomis' Paris In The Terror: June 1793-July 1794 yesterday. Afterward, I noticed something of a bloodbath going on in the review section over at Amazon.com, half of the commenters raving about what a great book it was and the other half denouncing it as outright lies. Personally, I simply don't know enough about the period to offer an informed opinion. However, I will say that I don't much buy Loomis' attempt to separate Danton from the other leaders of teh time, making him almost warm and snuggly in comparison to the raving Marat and the cold, steely Robespierre. He may have loved his wife and appreciated the pleasures of country living, but he was still up to his eyeballs in the collective madness that seized France at that period, and I doubt seriously whether knowing he had a more humane side would have been of any comfort to the thousands of innocent men, women and children slaughtered during the Terror. UPDATE: Oh, and if anyone can recommend a good history on the Revolution, please feel free to send it along.Posted by: Robert at 12:05 PM | Comments (17) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
A Two-Man Race (Such That It Is)
[Disclaimer: the following does not necessarily represent the views of the other contributors to The Llama Butchers or its proprietors, Steve and Robert, and should be taken in the context of the rantings of someone who spends too much time paying attention to politics]
McCain clearly gets the momentum this week, driven by passionate hugs and kisses from the MSM. It's not over, but the eventual outcome is becoming clearer. I'm not miffed or even disappointed, as this possibility seemed the most likely. What I am - as I suspect many Republicans are this morning - is irritated. Not at McCain, but at the fact that all the various constituencies couldn't seem to coalesce around a candidate that at least best represented the Republican party. John McCain has never represented his party. Since his first day in politics, he's represented only numero uno - John McCain. The pure irony is that I am a registered Republican today because of my desire to vote for him in the CT GOP primary in 2000. But since that day, I've had a problem with the way he has not only been unable to take that defeat in stride but how he's focused so much of his energy holding a bitter grudge against the man who did win as well as the rank and file who didn't give him the victory to which he feels he was entitled. His conduct over the last eight years - as a Republican - has been pretty reprehensible in my opinion. I've been simply awestruck at how deeply he takes everything so personally. It's a character flaw that often reveals an unseemly side to his personality and - in my opinion - clouds his judgment. Now before all you McCain supporters weigh in be aware that for every valid argument you can make as to why I should vote for McCain on Tuesday I can give you two as to why I feel I shouldn't. So save your breath (and keystrokes) because when I vote in the upcoming CT primary it won't be for McCain. My first choice was Giuliani. He's gone now but I won't be following his example and moving into the McCain camp. I seriously entertained backing Ol' Fred but he's history, too. That leaves Mitt Romney. Romney has an outside chance which he can kick start at tonight's debate. But since Huckabee insists on hanging around that task is an uphill battle. To the Huckleheads who go to the polls next week, I recommend that they each have a personal come-to-Jesus meeting and think long and hard about what they can accomplish. Vote for Huck, and you'll guaranty McCain. Vote for Romney and the expected outcome may no longer be inevitable. Mitt Romney has executive experience - real executive experience - in actually running things and bringing people together to get things done. No matter what you think of him, you know he's not going spend four years in the White House getting off on pissing in everyone's punchbowl. I can't say that about Maverick. One other thing to consider - the MSM is fawning over him now, but if/when he secures the nomination they will turn on him with the intensity of a rabid pitbull. By the time November comes around, McCain the candidate will be unrecognizable from the surging White House hopeful he is now. They will eviscerate him mercilessly because the whole time they've been riding along on that Straight Talk Express they've been writing down or recording every single frank and candid comment he's been foolish enough to make in their presence. And they will use it against him. McCain won't know what hit him because he will finally understand that all this good will he's been getting from them all these years has been an complete lie. I'll credit the man for coming back from political death and waging a fierce campaign. He won his votes fair and square. But he won't be getting mine on Tuesday. After that, we'll have to wait and see. UPDATE:Just to clarify that last sentence, I'm not saying "I'm not voting for McCain in the general!" What I'm saying is once this nomination process is essentially concluded (assuming one candidate hits the magic delegate number, which is likely), I'll have a lot to think about. Certainly, I'm inclined to vote Republican anyway but my presence at the polls is not guaranteed. It has to be earned. Also, Rasmussen has the following break-down for CT:
McCain 42%
Romney 26% As I suspected, it really doesn't matter how I vote on Tuesday. McCain is set win CT regardless.
Posted by: Gary at 09:47 AM | Comments (19) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
January 29, 2008
One of the Babes from Stripes in Rehab
Sean Young has truly arrived, Hollywood-style. Her bio is here. She seems to have aged gracefully, had a steady stream of work, and quietly gone nuts. Hope she pulls it together.
Posted by: LMC at 09:40 PM | Comments (15) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
McCain Cruising To Win In Florida
According to most of the news outlets. Looks like Rudy is planning on throwing in the towel - to endorse McCain.
Maybe Hillary isn't all that bad after all. At least, this is what Republicans will have to keep telling themselves to prepare for what looks to be the worst possible scenario come November.Posted by: Gary at 09:26 PM | Comments (13) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
The Future ROTC Scholarship Recipient and
his charming little sister, Our Little Debutante, get agitated whenever they see Mrs. LMC and yours truly sharing a kiss. Can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they are old enough to figure out just exactly how they managed to come into the picture.
Posted by: LMC at 09:25 PM | Comments (13) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Sex Workers Show at that College in Billsburg
I am not making this up. My tax dollars are supporting this crap. Via Drudge.
Posted by: LMC at 09:20 PM | Comments (15) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
I'm Baaaaaack!!!
My trip got cut a bit short owing to unforseen circumstances, so I was able to hop a flight back to Dee Cee earlier today than I had thought.
The bad news is that I discovered to my horror that my colleague on this jaunt is a Ron Paul supporter. A very avid one. A very bitter one. Despite every hint I could think of to try and deflect him, he insisted on laying out why teh Paul is the only true Conservative in the whole GOP bunch over drinks last evening. The entire time, this little ditty first seen over at Kathy's kept wandering through my mind: Sigh. It was a long evening. Place muzzle against temple. Pull trigger. Repeat as necessary. CLARIFYING UPDATE: That's against my temple, not his.Posted by: Robert at 04:33 PM | Comments (13) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Effectively sending the Kennedy clan and the Clintons into the night
Mark Hemingway's take in NRO on annointing Obama as the next JFK.
Posted by: LMC at 10:31 AM | Comments (16) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
They Just CAN'T WAIT To Raise Taxes
This little bit stuck out for me from the brief portion of the SOTU address last night that I actually watched. Bryan at HotAir highlights the contrast:
Posted by: Gary at 09:16 AM | Comments (18) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
January 28, 2008
Botox and Valium
The visage of SWMNBN at the State of the Union address was something to behold.
Posted by: LMC at 10:02 PM | Comments (16) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Attention: appetite spoiler
ABC brings up the rapidly aging looks of SWMNBN, again. It includes an unflattering shot of You Know Who, who was obviously not ready for her closeup. Wear protective goggles. You have been warned. H/T: The All-Seeing, All-Caring, All-Everything for the Children Maha Rushie.
Posted by: LMC at 12:58 PM | Comments (16) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Count on us to provide the really important news
Check out the Feline Version of "300" at College Humor. Completely safe for work, even at PETA. H/T to Special Agent Bedhead.
Posted by: LMC at 12:01 PM | Comments (13) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
David Bowie and Peggy Noonan, 22 years later
The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted, it belongs to the brave.
Posted by: Steve-O at 11:11 AM | Comments (19) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Tomorrow's Florida Results - Today
I'm getting a general feeling that a lot of Ol' Fred's supporters are coalescing behind Mitt Romney. This is bad news for Rudy, who (poll-wise) seems to be hitting a ceiling of 20% and hanging back a distant third. Unless he can account for the lion's share of absentee votes - not an insignificant number - I'd say he's in trouble. After tomorrow, there'll be no more patterns of "primary - news coverage - momentum, primary - news coverage - momentum, etc.". It's pretty much gut-check time for GOP voters. Time to make that decision and to stop waiting to see who's in, who's out and who's the flavor of the week.
This flipping of Fredheads is also a problem for McCain. As this looks to become more of a two-way race you have McCain v. anti-McCain. And as of now that anti-McCain vote is looking more and more like Romney. Romney has about a week to convince voters on "Apocalypse Tuesday" that 1) he's the candidate that most represents them and 2) McCain's case that he is the best general election is an illusion perpetuated by the MSM (who would turn around and eviscerate him once he secures the nomination). Anyway, my predictions (which have been awful so far): Romney: 35%McCain: 31%
Huckabee: 13%
Giuliani: 12%
Paul: 8%
Other: 1% As for the Dems? It's wide-open with Edwards only staying in to try and parlay a second chance at the Veep spot. UPDATE:
John Hinderaker on the likely two-man race scenario after tomorrow:
Barring a surprise in Florida, Republican primary voters and caucus-goers on mega-Tuesday will face a stark but classic political choice: do they go with Romney, whose views across a broad range of issues are more palatable to conservatives and whose economic expertise may be badly needed, or with McCain, who seems pretty clearly more likely to prevent the Clintons from re-inhabiting the White House? It's not an easy choice. We'll have more to say about it in due course.UPDATE DEUX:
Giuliani hints he could drop out after Florida. Unless he or his campaign vehemently denies this, he pretty much takes away any incentive for Floridians to vote for him. (Disclosure: I declared for Giuliani back in December).
Posted by: Gary at 09:39 AM | Comments (20) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
More proof SWMNBN is not so inevitable anymore
Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg endorses Obama in the print pub that still thinks itself The Newspaper of Record. What say you, Steve-O? Gary?
Yips! from Gary:"Inevitable"? She keeps using that word. I do not think it means what she thinks it means. Seriously, though. This is a fascinating political dynamic to observe. Obama pulled most African-American votes and a large chunk of the Chardonnay-sipping, well-educated, wealthy white Liberal elite types and You-Know-Who seems to have retained most of the rest of the traditional "rank and file" Democrats. Now it looks like many of the "establishment" (Kerry, Kennedy, et al) figures of the party are turning on these two. Does she start to lose some of her organizational foot-soldiers who might be getting...uh..."cold feet"? Stay tuned.
Posted by: LMC at 08:44 AM | Comments (15) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
If You Really Want to Know: "Where's Robbo?"
Well, then, click here . "What have you been doing, Robert? Moonlighting superhero work?"
Posted by: LMC at 08:27 AM | Comments (14) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
January 27, 2008
Where's Robbo?
I'm heading out of town this afternoon for a couple nights (leaving my poor Missus to have to host a potluck supper all by herself this evening). I'll be back Tuesday evening, but probably not posting until Wednesday.
In the meantime, let's everybody take a deep breath, think happy thoughts and start working in earnest on our Bill Bellicek voodoo dolls.Posted by: Robert at 12:35 PM | Comments (16) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
January 26, 2008
Bad Music Video Saturday
Posted by: Chai-Rista at 12:47 PM | Comments (17) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
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