November 05, 2007

Beauty AND Brains

Insert your own Tom Brady joke here:

Gisele Bundchen wants to remain the world's richest model and is insisting that she be paid in almost any currency but the U.S. dollar.

Like billionaire investors Warren Buffett and Bill Gross, the Brazilian supermodel, who Forbes magazine says earns more than anyone in her industry, is at the top of a growing list of rich people who have concluded that the currency can only depreciate because Americans led by President George W. Bush are living beyond their means.

Even after the dollar lost 34 percent since 2001, the biggest investors and most accurate forecasters say it will weaken further as home sales fall and the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates.

Actually, that should read "Americans led by media-darling Alan Greenspan and Ben Bernanke" as the drop in the dollar is emmenating from the Federal Reserve's long term interest strategy. Buried in the eighth to the bottom paragraph is this though:

The dollar's drop also makes American goods cheaper abroad. U.S. exports were a record $138.2 billion in August, government data show. Net exports added 0.93 percentage point to U.S. gross domestic product last quarter, offsetting a 1.05 percentage point drag from housing, government data show.

Personally, I think it's weasily on the part of the Commerce Department to exclude energy and food from core inflation measurements, but that's a different debate.

There's also an interesting story in there about the rise of sovereign hedge funds---perhaps grist for a good novel with Blackwater playing the role of the new Knights Templar, and Dubai as a post-modern Malta.

Yips! from Robbo: To those of you hanging around waiting for an endorsement of the Llamas for the Weblog Awards by Gisele, forget it. I may want to win, but not so much that I'll take the assist of a Very Brady Soopermodel.

Posted by: Steve-O at 04:31 PM | Comments (15) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

364 Days to the Election....

Interesting signs on the intertubes today.

Exhibit A: Nora Ephron's plaintive screed about betrayal of the Democrats by the Democrats. Read it and warm your toesies by the bonfire of its vanities.

Exhibit B: Kossacks in a panic over the prospect of good news out of Iraq. I've been seeing this going on on the ground here in the Ivory Tower over the past 2-3 weeks, with the beginning of the "whatever the outcome it wasn't worth the cost" argument beginning to emerge.

Posted by: Steve-O at 03:08 PM | Comments (20) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

So Long For the Season, Heat Miser

I don't recall seeing a notice like this over at my favorite weather site before.

The growing season has ended for locations east of the Interstate
95 corridor to the Chesapeake Bay and tidal Potomac River.

Issuance of freeze watches and warnings... and frost advisories
are discontinued until next Spring for the following counties and
cities in DC Maryland and virgina:

Southern Baltimore... Baltimore City... Anne Arundel... Prince
Georges... District of Columbia... city of Arlington... city of Falls
Church... City of Alexandria... Charles... Calvert... King George... and
Saint Marys.

Those with vegetation still growing that is sensitive to frost
and freeze conditions should monitor the low temperature forecasts
issued by the National Weather Service or other outlets.

Later this week... it appears that much of the region will drop
to near freezing by Thursday morning... November 8th.

Message from the NWS: You're on your own now, pilgrims.

We live to the west of that line, so I expect the cut-off goes double for us.

As it happens, the youngest Llama-ette and I were out yesterday afternoon planting bulbs in the little patch by our front sidewalk. We put in a mixture of tulip and daffodil, my sincere hope being that the scent of the latter will discourage the goddam squirrels from digging up the former. (I had been considering whether to aerate the back yard this fall, but the squirrels beat me to that pretty durn effectively.) This is the bed that has been pretty much taken over by my Dicentra, and it was almost impossible to dig anywhere without slicing through some of its roots. In fact, I did slice a couple of them, but the Dicentra has become such a garden-bully that I don't think it's going to matter very much.

Posted by: Robert at 03:00 PM | Comments (15) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

I'm Robbo the Llama and I Think I've Been Possessed!

A week or two back I noted the likelihood that I was going to be spending the Thanksgiving holidays pergo-ing the floor of Robbo's Former Fortress of Solitude in the basement of Orgle Manor.

Well, it seems plans have changed somewhat since then. The other day the Missus confirmed that Mrs. LMC, together with the Future ROTC Scholarship Recipient and his Lovely Little Sister, would be coming up for a night or two over the T-Day weekend. I immediately kyboshed any flooring plans, stating categorically that there was no way we could deal with a basement in total chaos and houseguests that included two small children. One or the other, but not both.

Lucky break for ol' Robbo, you might say. And I did say, at first. But then a little voice way back in the recesses of my skull observed, "You know.....you've got Veterans' Day off, so this coming weekend will be a long one as well........"

Before I knew what was happening, this same little voice had somehow taken over my vocal chords (a standard revolutionary technique: go for the communications system first) and was saying to the Missus, "Well, why don't I do the pergo sooner rather than later?"

You can imagine how that offer was received. The Missus is off to buy the fixin's as soon as I measure the floorspace this evening.

I am hereby sending out an S.O.S to Father M and any other readers of the Llamas who might know something about exorcism. Help me!

YIPS from Steve-O:

Oh, I think I can speak for all our readership when I say:

Posted by: Robert at 01:14 PM | Comments (21) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

St. Nick vs The Fat Police

In Britain's nanny-state, you already know who loses:

Santa is being told to shift the pounds before Christmas - because the obese saint is failing to set a "good example" for children.

The traditional children's hero, best known for feasting on mince pies left out on Christmas eve, has always sported a bulging midriff.

But shopping centre bosses are giving the well-wisher his marching orders - to the nearest gym - to tackle the increasing problem of obesity.

The revelation comes after a medical report earlier this month stated that by 2050 more than 50 per cent of Brits will be obese.

Bluewater shopping centre in Greenhithe, Kent, has even gone one step further and set-up a Santa boot camp.

Fiona Campbell-Reilly, spokeswoman at the shopping centre, said: "Santa has been around for years, but society has changed and our Santa needs to reflect this.

"Bluewater's Santa Boot Camp is getting Santa in shape and setting a good example to children who idolise him.

"He will still be the same lovable jolly man, but will be fitter and healthier."

Good example? Show of hands, please, for those of you who have ever heard a child say that he wanted to be fat just like Santa.

I hope St. Nick takes revenge for being robbed of his traditional, eh, "lifestyle" by turning into a cranky old bastard who spits in kids' stockings and lets his reindeer go wee-wees all over their roof-tops.

Posted by: Robert at 12:07 PM | Comments (20) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

A La Recherche Du Temps Regula One

Posting that KHAAAAAN! clip yesterday and reading our friend Hucbald's response to it stirred up some very fond memories for me, for which I am sure you will mock me, possibly even pelting me with rocks and garbage.

You see, owing to a small but firm prediliction for space movie music, I used to own a cassette of the soundtrack from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. The cassette ran to a little over 45 minutes or so of music, rounding off with Mr. Spock's intonation of "Space, the Final Frontier....." before sweeping into the closing credits.

It also just so happens that a little over 45 minutes is the time it normally takes (or at least it used to take me) to make the drive from Lexington, Virginia, home of Dubyanell, to Amherst, Virginia, home of Sweet Briar College. And while I was getting a law degree of sorts at the former, I spent a great deal of time courting the Missus at the latter. Thus, I made many, many trips back and forth between Metro-Lex and SBC. And during my third year of law school when I took part in several SBC theatre productions (the Missus was a theatre major - you do the math), the number of trips increased substantially. Indeed, during final rehearsals and performance weeks, I was heading over every evening. And as the Missus was a proper young lady (who also happened to live next door to a hyper-strict RA) and would not let me stay over, I duly made my way back to Metro-Lex late each night as well.

Lexington sits in the Valley of Virginia. Sweet Briar sits in the Piedmont. In between the two are the Blue Ridge Mountains. In that part of the range, the western face is steep-too. Heading east from Metro-Lex on Route 60, you first pass through the little town of Buena Vista. (Locally pronounced "Byoonah Vista", it is rayther curiously named thus in celebration of the fact that iron ore mined out of the nearby hills was used in casting some cannon used by the United States to win the battle of Buena Vista during the Mexican War. Rumor in my time also had it that B.V. had the highest per capita incest rate of any town in the United States, a claim I'm not sure I'd dispute.) Immediately on the eastern outskirts of B.V., the road begins to climb sharply, eventually snaking up the west face of the Blue Ridge a couple thousand feet in a series of turns which, the first couple times I took them (especially heading down), were quite white knuckle-inducing. The view from the top is spectacular.

Once across the crest (marked by Skyline Drive, which runs, so far as I know, along the entire spine of the range from southern Pennsylvania down to Georgia), the road begins a series of swoops and dives as it works its way through the jumble of hills crowded up against the eastern flank of the mountain, eventually picking up a pleasant little series of hidden valleys (one of which, I believe, is called Hidden Valley) until it finally makes its way up to the tiny town of Amherst, VA, there running into - of all absurd things - a roundabout before spitting the SBC-bound traveller out on to Route 29, on which one heads south a couple miles to the front gates.

I don't know how many hundred times I travelled this route (and, of course, its reverse). I did so in all weathers and conditions - rain, snow, ice, fog, gusty winds - and at all times of day and night. And looking back, I now recall that on many, many of these runs, I would listen to the STII:TWOK soundtrack. Particularly late at night, I would let the images from that movie evoked by the music mix with what I was sensing and seeing all around me. I got an especially geeky pleasure on those occasions when, travelling up into the fog bank from below, I was able to catch the track for the battle in the Mutara Nebula. (When confronted now and again in said fog bank by the psycho-killer log truckers who haunted this route, I sometimes found the parallel to being hunted by the Reliant just a little too realistic.)

Of course, I wasn't fool enough to let on about this simple but admittedly uber-dorky pleasure to the Missus (or to anyone else, for that matter) back then. I mention it without fear now because it was all such a long time ago that I'm sure the statute of limitations has run on any geek liability to which I might otherwise have been subject. I also mention it because, interestingly, while back then I whiled away the drive thinking about images from the movie, now I can't think of the movie without my head being filled with images from that drive.

Posted by: Robert at 11:21 AM | Comments (18) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Your Gratuitous Daily Llama Endorsement

This just in, former "Melrose Place" hottie Courtney Thorne-Smith weighes in on 2007 Weblog Awards:

"Ah, surfing the Llama Butchers is better than a day at the beach."

Did you vote today?

Yips! from Robbo: My weekend attempt at vote-rallying via poking humor at approximately two thirds of the world's monotheists seems to have backfired, as we're now barely holding on to fourth position and fading fast. We promise to stick to Llama Babes from here on out. Remember, you can vote once every 24 hours. So please make a point of dropping by the voting booth every day until this thing closes. Yip! Yip! Yip!

UPDATE!!!:
I'm hearing rumors that a certain Ms. Elisabeth Shue is seriously thinking about throwing her support to Orgle Manor...stay tuned!

Posted by: Gary at 10:30 AM | Comments (20) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

November 04, 2007

Things That Make You Go "D'oh!"

A hyperactive five year old, some couscous and the dining room rug.

You'd think I'd have learned by now.......

Posted by: Robert at 07:45 PM | Comments (14) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Message For Bill Belichick

That is all.

Posted by: Robert at 07:26 PM | Comments (18) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Sooper Sekrit Message to Gramps

Below the fold, a message for my Dad: don't say I didn't warn you if you've had your fill of emotion-wrought writing about sports.

Posted by: Steve-O at 05:20 PM | Comments (15) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Huh

I've long been aware of the fact that the Missus shares the same birthday with Dubya. But it was only today that I realized Mom shares a birthday with Laura Bush.

What do you suppose the odds are of that?

Posted by: Robert at 04:12 PM | Comments (16) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

You Knew This Was Coming

And it's as good as you thought it would be.....

Heh, indeed.

Yips! to Nice Deb via Ace.

Yips! from Gary:
Aw, man. I called this one on Thursday. Well, not exactly, but close enough.

Posted by: Robert at 08:28 AM | Comments (16) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

More Shameless Vote-Mongering

"Still only running third in the 2007 Weblog Awards finals, eh? Cardinal Smithers! Issue the revised General Intention directing our flock to vote early and often in support of this Robbo Llama. We must not allow him to be discouraged at this point.

Also, find out who is NOT voting for the Llamas, and prepare to release the hounds....."

Posted by: Robert at 07:32 AM | Comments (16) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

November 03, 2007

My Dad Just Called, Singing "Anchors Aweigh" Really, Really Loudly

Which could only have meant one thing:

The sound you hear right now is Roger Staubach, dressed like Stephen Decateur, astride Touchdown Jeebus, shrieking, "I'm Juggernaut, Bitches!"

Charlie Weis is 1-7, 0-5 in South Bend. Obviously it's time to fire Ty Willingham---it must be his fault.

SOOPER SEKRIT MESSAGE to Hucbald: Dude, THAT'S how you do some old skool TLLB/Sitemeter ginning.

Posted by: Steve-O at 05:45 PM | Comments (21) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Shameless Saturday Afternoon Vote-Mongering

Islamist Rage Boy sez: "What? You have not yet voted for the Llamas today in the 2007 Weblog Award Finals? Infidel! Go! Do so at once or, by Llama, such a fatwah of spitting shall be unleashed on you that you shall not know your orgle from a hole in the ground! Go! Now! Y'ip! Y'ip! Y'ip!"

(What, you want Melissa instead? Bump our poll position a bit and we'll see what we can do.)

Posted by: Robert at 01:32 PM | Comments (15) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Chilly Ain't Just A Long, Thin Country In South America

After futzing around for most of October, Autumn has gotten down to business here in Northern Virginia. At the five year old's soccer game this morning, I found myself jumping about not so much in enthusiastic support for her team, but instead more to try and get my toes to warm up.

Also today I had my first encounter of the year with my old nemesis, the wind. I grow to hate the cold wind more and more each year. Some might say this is the flip side of saying "it's not the heat, it's the humidity" in the summer, but in fact it is different. As awful as it is, summer humidity is just a condition, a blanketing term of existence. The winter wind is different, seeming to possess a conscious will. It seeks one out. It delights in penetrating to one's very bones with its icy fingers. You can kvetch about the hot, soggy summer air, but you find yourself shouting directly at the winter wind to just leave you alone.

Anyhoo, on the other side of the coin, I'm already building a fire for the evening. So I got that going for me.

Posted by: Robert at 11:09 AM | Comments (15) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

November 02, 2007

I predict a sudden increase in retirement applications at Foggy Bottom

Condi to implement "directed assignments" to Iraq to meet the State Department's mission, particularly in staffing the EPRTs (Emergency Provincial Reconstruction Teams). Failure to comply without really good cause will be grounds for dismissal.

Posted by: LMC at 11:53 PM | Comments (16) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

You Can Thank Me Later

Yer Friday Afternoon Timewaster: The Kitty Cannon.

It's simple, stupid and involves doing bad things to cats. Perfect.

Top score so far? 749 ft. 939 ft. 1344 ft.

Okay, folks, get going........

UPDATE: It occurs to me that I've seen this before. However, I don't recall the flytraps being such good fielders.

Posted by: Robert at 02:14 PM | Comments (14) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Not Bad....

The latest Edwards ad featuring She Who Must No Be Named:

Via the Corner.

Posted by: Robert at 01:58 PM | Comments (18) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Hollywood Writers Strike Looms

Looks like it's happening.

And, frankly, with all the dog feces on TV and in the theaters nowadays does it really matter all that much? I mean, anyone can write that garbage.

So let's see. What else have I got?

A decent NY Giants season? Check.
Netflix? Check
Nintendo Gamecube (and Wii after Christmas)? Check.
At least a dozen books on my shelf I haven't gotten to yet? Check.
Remastered Star Trek (The Original Series) episodes on My9? Check.

Yeah, I'm covered. Have fun picketing, folks.

Posted by: Gary at 12:26 PM | Comments (14) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

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