November 28, 2007

Random Commuter Observation

Despite the recent spike in gas prices, I still haven't managed to hit the $50 fill-up yet. But at $48.42 this morning, I feel I've gotten close enough.

Posted by: Robert at 09:10 AM | Comments (16) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

November 27, 2007

Strangeness

Any bets on whether this has anything to do with this (or this)?

I'm guessing 99%...

Posted by: Steve-O at 10:00 PM | Comments (15) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

It Takes A Village To Neutralize Parental Authority

Well, I'm not especially surprised that it's Massachusetts:

Parents who spank their kids - even in their own homes - would be slapped by the long arm of the law under an Arlington nurse’s proposal to make Massachusetts the first state in the nation to outlaw corporal punishment.

Kathleen Wolf’s proposed legislation will be debated at a State House hearing tomorrow morning.

If signed into law, parents would be prohibited from forcefully laying a hand on any child under age 18 unless it was to wrest them from danger, lest they be charged with abuse or neglect.

Rep. Jay Kaufman, a Lexington Democrat, submitted the 61-year-old Wolf’s petition at her request, but is not taking a position for or against corporal punishment.

“He does recognize and understand the concern many would have on legislating parental rights,” said Sean Fitzgerald, Kaufman’s chief of staff, “but the problem is the boundary is often overstepped. The right to hit should never be the right to hurt.”

True, but there's also a maxim to the effect that hard cases make bad laws. Preventing genuine child-abusers (i.e, the "hurters") from running amok is fine, even admirable. But letting the State interfere with Mom and Dad's judgment about how best to take Little Johnny down a peg or two when he needs it, well, that's a whole different order of bureaucratic nannyism.

Here's the proposed text:

An Act prohibiting corporal punishment of children.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1: Chapter 119 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2004 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after Section 51 B, a new Section 51 B 1/2 , as follows:

Section 51 B ½. CORPORAL PUNISHMENT OF CHILDREN IS PROHIBITED

Corporal Punishment of children violates their rights to safe, secure and respectful care.

This section is intended to actively support nonviolent parenting.

The provisions of this section are intended to eliminate the use of corporal punishment to discipline children, because of the emotional harm and risks of bodily harm associated with corporal punishment of children.

The provisions of this section shall not preclude any adult from using incidental or minor physical contact designed to maintain order and control, or other discipline which does not constitute corporal punishment.

(a) For the purposes of this section, the following words shall, unless the context indicates otherwise, have the following meanings: -

“Child”, any person under eighteen years of age.

“Corporal punishment”, the willful infliction of physical pain or injurious or humiliating treatment.

(b) It shall be unlawful in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for any adult to inflict corporal punishment upon a child.

(c) The infliction of corporal punishment on a child may be a basis for a finding of abuse and neglect.

(d) The provisions of this section shall not preclude any adult from using such reasonable force as is necessary to protect himself and others from imminent, serious, physical harm, including assault by a child, to divest a child of a dangerous instrument, to prevent injury to property, or to remove a child from a life-threatening or injurious situation.

Looks awful broad to me. I'm not sure whether Rep. Kaufman really gives that much of a damn about "the concerns many would have on legislating parental rights."

Posted by: Robert at 04:18 PM | Comments (18) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Afraid of a Disaster, Robbo Posted Fast and Faster

M'kay.

Somebody cruised in here on a google search for nakie Madeline and nakie Pepito.

I always knew that boy was a bad hat. The question is whether he keeps it on.

Posted by: Robert at 01:19 PM | Comments (12) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Coolness

Report: new genetic study supports small time frame single migration across the Bering land bridge.

This still doesn't explain how the skull of a 24th century StarFleet captain from France wound up dead in the Kenniwick River nine thousand years ago.

I know the Abbot will still hold a candle for the Hurons-as-displaced Templars theory, but then again he's holding an even larger candle for a BCS Bowl Bid for the Golden Dome, so take his theories with a grain of salt or two.

Posted by: Steve-O at 01:16 PM | Comments (17) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Gratuitous Annapolis Observation

The expression "peace process" positively grates on my nerves.

I've never been able to decide whether the people who came up with this term for the bureaucratic kabuki that is Middle Eastern diplomacy were breath-takingly naive or breath-takingly cynical.

That is all.

BIZARRO WORLD UPDATE: Looks like the Legion of Doom is planning to hold its own Middle East "peace process" chinwag in Tehran. Of course, their plan will be much simpler than anything coming out of Annapolis: Kill Israel.

Posted by: Robert at 09:27 AM | Comments (17) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

November 26, 2007

Heeeeeeere's RICKY!

He's Baaaaaaaack........

Two days ago I reported exclusively that Ricky would not only play, but might very well start against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Well, he is scheduled to start Monday night.

Amazing.

Only in Miami does the following happen: A guy fails a drug test five times, quits the team once, changes his mind and returns only to be suspended. Then he is forced to stay away for nearly two years, and when he comes back to a new coach that doesn't embrace what he stands for, none of it matters.

None of it.

The new coach -- Cam Cameron -- is so desperate for a healthy, viable running back, that the guy he originally didn't want back on the team comes back to practice on Monday and by the following Monday is starting again. On national cable television.

That is the case with Ricky Williams today.

Williams is starting because Jesse Chatman's injured right ankle is, well, still injured. All the wishing and rehabilitation in the world wasn't going to overcome that noticeable limp Chatman maintained throughout the past week.

So Ricky will run for the Dolphins again. And it should be interesting to see how he does given his time away from the game, the fact he is 30 years old now, and his relative lack of practice time.

One thing working in Ricky's favor is that this offensive line is perhaps the best and most effective he has run behind since he's been with the Dolphins. Yes, I realize he gained 1,853 behind Tim Ruddy, Jamie Nails, Mark Dixon, Todd Perry and Todd Wade in 2002.

But within 18 months of helping Ricky establish that team-record individual rushing season, all of the players on that line were either off the roster or out of the league altogether. This Miami line helped turn Ronnie Brown from an also-ran to a likely Pro Bowl performer had he remained healthy.

It will be interesting to see what that line does for Ricky.

Hell, I've swallowed the O-fer kool-aid meself. If he helps us get a win, let him play sez I.

FU TONY KORNHEISER UPDATE: Liveblogging the Steelers game tonight. Ricky fumbles in the 2nd Q and hobbles off the field shaken up. Everybody in the booth was so eager to pile on, did anybody notice that one of the Steelers jammed his cleat into Ricky's back when he was on the ground? Sheesh.

0-11 UPDATE: Yeah, they lost again. But they gutted it out and it was damned close until the end. I'm not ashamed.

Posted by: Robert at 02:39 PM | Comments (15) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Because I Can

Stephen King (who's output has really turned clunky in the last ten years) is very high on the new ending given to his story "The Mist" which opened last Friday.

"[Director/Writer] Frank [Darabont] wrote a new ending that I loved. It is the most shocking ending ever and there should be a law passed stating that anybody who reveals the last 5 minutes of this film should be hung from their neck until dead."

Posted by: Gary at 01:43 PM | Comments (18) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

In the kitchen with Steve-O the LLamabutcher

Big cooking week last week. Last night I made Thanksgiving Stew, which was basically a medley of left-overs left to simmer to golden goodness. We made stock Thursday night, boiling the carcass of the noble bird together with the loose veggies that the cavity had been stuffed with. The big difference this time was we drained the stock into used yogurt containers, instead of one big container, for much more convenient freezing. That way, when we need stock for soup, we just defrost enough for that time, instead of a whole big thing. I have no idea why I never thought of that before, but what can I say, I'm dense. I started with sauteing two smaller yellow onions, some celery chopped finely, in a little bit of olive oil, a little flour, and about a cup and a half of red wine. I added northern beans, and would have added a can of corn and a can of carrots if we had had them. The turkey stock, plus about three cups of water, two handfuls of cranberries, the meat from one drumstick plus the wings, a little bit of turkey sausage, a regular potato and a sweet potato, a large spoonful of gravy, and then, when the thing had simmer for a couple of hours, about half a cup of stuffing mix. Savory does not begin to describe how awesome it was. Since we were out of pie, and that's just wrong, Miss Somersault and I made a pumpkin pie to go with it.

I've been on a real soup/stew/chili tear as of late, and this was a great addition to the mix. The cranberries actually worked nicely (they were raw when added, and broke down nicely to be soft, but without getting all gooey.

Posted by: Steve-O at 11:16 AM | Comments (15) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Great new-to-me blog

Old LLama pal Keith sends a link to a great blog for those interested in following what's going on with the financial markets, the appropriately named The Big Picture. Good stuff.

Also, I'm inching closer to the day when The Dear One starts her own blog. She actually had me search out a number of URLs, which turned up some nice open real estate. She's a big follower of the subgenre of knitting blogs, and I think is finally going to make the plunge, which would include side commentary on what a pain in the arse yours truly is to live with, I'm sure.

Posted by: Steve-O at 11:07 AM | Comments (11) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Gratuitous Monday Morning Observation

I haven't got much today, but I did want to send a sooper-sekret message to Fox: You keep running episodes of The Simpsons featuring Sideshow Bob, and I'll keep watching. Heh, indeed.

(And for those smartasses amongst you tempted to make comparisons between SSB and Self, I will only say feh.)

Posted by: Robert at 10:39 AM | Comments (15) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

November 25, 2007

Leaf It To Me

I love it when a plan comes together.

Although a scant 48 hours ago I was moaning about the Sisyphean task of collecting up and hauling off all the leaves in my yard, in the interim I got the sudden idea of imitating my neighbor, who instead of messing about with wheelbarrows simply rakes his leaves onto a large plastic tarp and drags it out into the woods for dumping.

It works like a charm. I can haul ten times the load on each trip. Not only did I finish out front, for an encore I even cleaned up the side yard, an area I have traditionally ignored.

I am the Leaf Man.

Koo-Koo-Ka-Choo!

Posted by: Robert at 03:02 PM | Comments (17) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

In the immortal words of Joey Lawrence, "Whoa!"

The dollar too low, or the Euro way, waaaaay overvalued? Listen to American academics worried about the cost of their Provence rentals, it's the former: listen to the head of the Eurozone's most high profile manufacturer, it's the latter:

As Airbus chief Thomas Enders warned in a speech to the Hamburg workers last night, Europe's champion plane-maker - the symbol of European unification, in the words or ex-French president Jacques Chirac -- is now facing a "life-threatening" crisis.

Mr Enders said the company's business model is "no longer viable", and "massive losses" are on the horizon. So much for all those currency hedges that analysts like to cite. Have they ever tried to buy a currency hedge? They would discover how expensive these instruments are. Hedges cannot protect a company with $220bn in delivery contracts priced in dollars, when the euro/sterling cost-base is leaping into the stratosphere.

The sudden rocketing in sovereign bond spreads this week between core German Bunds and Club Med debt - Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, as well as Irish, Belgian and Slovenian - is a clear sign that markets are starting to price in a break-up risk for the single currency, however remote. Italian spreads have risen beyond the danger point of 40 basis points. This is less than the 100bp or so seen in Quebec (viz Ontario debt) when it looked as if the separatists might prevail. But it is dangerous nevertheless.

I'll confess to not really understanding the third paragraph: Keith, Lou, any ideas?

Posted by: Steve-O at 08:34 AM | Comments (17) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Great Tee-Vee Show Ideas

Think about it: The Robbo and Tony Tiber Swim Hour of Power.

I'd be their doofus clueless sidekick.

Posted by: Steve-O at 08:29 AM | Comments (14) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

November 23, 2007

The Dog that didn't bark

Hmmm, what's missing from this New York Times story:

The homicide figure continues a remarkable slide since 1990, when New York recorded its greatest number of killings in a single year, 2,245, and when untold scores of the victims were killed in violence between strangers.

Homicides began falling in the early 1990s, when Raymond W. Kelly first served as police commissioner, and plummeted further under subsequent commissioners. Mr. Kelly returned to serve under Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in 2002, the first year there were fewer than 600 homicides. There were 587 that year, down from 649 in the previous year.

Crickets chirping...

Posted by: Steve-O at 11:03 PM | Comments (15) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Leaf Me Alone

Mayun do I hate doing the leaves. Even the opportunity to play with the leaf-blower can't overcome the sheer tedium of it all.

We have four large trees out along the sidewalk in front of Orgle Manor, three silver maples and an oak of some sort. Each is about 45 or 50 feet tall, and the leaves that they shed are legion. In fact, while I know it is physically impossible, they somehow seem to have dropped more leaves this year than usual. Furthermore, the leaves have absolutely no place to go - the road is banked up on one side and a hedge occupies the other.

I've been at it all morning (leaf collection is a good way to work through an over-indulgence in holiday cheer) and feel as if I've barely made a dent. I've only cleaned up around half the trees, plus a very large pile of leaves still sits on the driveway waiting to be carted out back and dumped in the woods. I've been cajoling the Llama-ettes to help out, but they display all the work ethic of a state highway maintenance crew.

UPDATE: Uh-oh.....

New Scientist reports a worrying new variant as the cosmologists claim that astronomers may have accidentally nudged the universe closer to its death by observing dark energy, a mysterious anti gravity force which is thought to be speeding up the expansion of the cosmos.

The damaging allegations are made by Profs Lawrence Krauss of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and James Dent of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, who suggest that by making this observation in 1998 we may have caused the cosmos to revert to an earlier state when it was more likely to end. "Incredible as it seems, our detection of the dark energy may have reduced the life-expectancy of the universe," Prof Krauss tells New Scientist.

*#$&%(&$# the leaves.

Posted by: Robert at 01:47 PM | Comments (13) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

November 22, 2007

Hail, Bright Cecilia!

In addition to being Thanksgiving this year, today is the feast day of St. Cecilia, patron saint of music (especially church music).

I've always held Cecilia in particular reverence because for me musick is the closest representation of the Divine on earth, the echo of the Cherubim and Seraphim in the soul of Man. Whether I am listening to a performance or stumbling through a work with my own collection of ten left-handed thumbs, it is through musick, frankly, that I feel the closest to God. Indeed, I understand that when I O-ficially cross the Tiber, I'm allowed to designate one or more patron saints. I'm still a bit fuzzy about whether a guy can pick a female saint for his team, but if so, I would undoubtedly put St. Cecilia at the very top of my batting order.

BTW, when I say musick, I mean musick. All musick. While I make no secret of my especial delight in the Baroque and Classic styles, while I have argued many times that I believe Johann Sebastian Bach to be the single greatest musickal genius in the entire history of mankind and while there is much that is called "musick" which I think to be utter garbage and in some cases (gangsta rap, por ejemplo) downright evil, however, I still feel that spiritual frisson in many, many different contexts. Perhaps not as sharply as when I'm listening to the great masters such as Bach, Haydn and Mozart, but it's there nonetheless. Peter Schickele always signed off his radio program with Duke Ellington's tag, "If it sounds good, it is good." I think there's a lot of truth to this, not just aesthetically, but spiritually as well. (Wait, do I hear sirens? Is the Church's Anti-Ecumenical Squad coming to haul me in? Wait! Honest, officer, I'm not advocating the U2-Charist!. There's a reeeeeal thin line between spirituality and hubris. Vade retro, Bono! And anyway, based on some of the abominable musick I've heard in some Masses, the Church Police wouldn't have a leg to stand on.)

Anyhoo, as the patron of musick, Cecilia has, of course, had many, many works dedicated to her. In celebration of the day, I am pulling out my Ode to St. Cecilia composed by Henry Purcell.

UPDATE: Ha! Speaking of the Church Music Police, B-16 throws down.

Posted by: Robert at 08:27 PM | Comments (19) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

The Colossus prepares for the victory lap

The Colossus is preparing to hang it up and has already put up his closeout, dated December 1, although newer posts will go up before the end. I've enjoyed his insights and hope he will post occasionally again, as the Spirit moves him. If so, he can join the ranks of freeloaders like me who snagged a set of keys and made themselves at home on other people's blogs--posting on obscure topics, raiding the fridge, making long distance calls, etc.

Posted by: LMC at 03:33 PM | Comments (14) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Robbo's Thanksgiving Thought

Okay, let's see if this makes the slightest bit of sense.

As I sit here waiting for the Missus and the Llama-ettes to finish up with the punkin' pie and the potatoes so that I can get at the oven with Mr. Briney Turkey, I'm led to reflect on what a profound effect I believe my decision to swim the Tiber has had on my very ability to appreciate the gifts I have received in my life. Earlier this year, I was feeling parched and barren, listless and numb. But since finally answering the Call, I have been infused with such a dose of the Spirit that I have been far, far happier than I've been for a very long time, indeed perhaps than I've ever been before. And I am learning to take the love of God - which has always been there, of course, but which I feel ever so much more tangibly - and translate it into a far deeper love and gratitude for all those in my life, especially for my family. The change, if I may say so, has been rayther astounding.

So I think that on this day I'd especially like to give thanks to God not just for the blessings that He's given me, but also for His steering my spirit to appreciate and embrace those blessings ever so much more deeply, as well as helping my voice to make my thanks for them humbler, more sincere and more grateful.

Te Deum laudamus: te Dominum confitemur.

Te aeternum Patrem omnis terra veneratur.

Tibi omnes Angeli; tibi caeli et universae Potestates;

Tibi Cherubim et Seraphim incessabili voce proclamant:

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth.

Pleni sunt caeli et terra maiestatis gloriae tuae.

Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus,

Te Prophetarum laudabilis numerus,

Te Martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus.

Te per orbem terrarum sancta confitetur Ecclesia,

Patrem immensae maiestatis:

Venerandum tuum verum et unicum Filium;

Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum.

Tu Rex gloriae, Christe.

Tu Patris sempiternus es Filius.

Tu ad liberandum suscepturus hominem, non horruisti Virginis uterum.

Tu, devicto mortis aculeo, aperuisti credentibus regna caelorum.

Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes, in gloria Patris.

Iudex crederis esse venturus.

Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni: quos pretioso sanguine redemisti.

Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis in gloria numerari.



V. Salvum fac populum tuum, Domine, et benedic hereditati tuae.

R. Et rege eos, et extolle illos usque in aeternum.



V. Per singulos dies benedicimus te.

R. Et laudamus nomen tuum in saeculum, et in saeculum saeculi.



V. Dignare, Domine, die isto sine peccato nos custodire.

R. Miserere nostri, Domine, miserere nostri.



V. Fiat misericordia tua, Domine, super nos, quemadmodum speravimus in te.

R. In te, Domine, speravi: non confundar in aeternum.

(I don't know if this is technically proper for the day, but I feel quite compelled to say it.)

Happy Thanksgiving, and God bless all of you!

Posted by: Robert at 12:07 PM | Comments (25) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Happy completely PC Fall Feast

The traditional LLamabutchers posting on Thanksgiving:

City of New York, October 3, 1789
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanks-giving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th. day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficient Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the People, by constantly being a government of wise, just and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows best.

George Washington
President

George Washington: A Collection compiled and edited by W.B. Allen (Indianapolis: Liberty Classics, 198 at 534-535.

Proclamation of Thanksgiving BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siefe and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobediance, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lourd one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the Eighty-eigth.

By the President:

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Followed by the Fusco Brothers Thanksgiving Special:

See you tomorrow!

Posted by: Steve-O at 07:53 AM | Comments (12) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

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