June 08, 2008
Lintefiniel Jen, your time is coming . . .
like mine did today when Our Little Debutante cracked the code on the words, if uttered, will get her removed from the church with lightning speed: "I have to go potty!" It turned out to be a false alarm but few parents are going to call the bluff. Jen, formerly Jen Speaks, little Jesse will figure it out soon enough.
Posted by: LMC at 10:52 AM | Comments (20) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
June 07, 2008
Mr. Llama Regrets
Nomination Committee
Roman Catholic Boys for Art
The Strand
London W1 Gentlemen: May I start by offering my most sincere thanks for your recent decision to nominate me for membership in your august society. I am deeply appreciative of the honor that you do me in extending such an invitation. Unfortunately, I cannot help but notice that literally within minutes of my receipt of your invitation and the accompanying probationary instructions with respect to the posting of a certain picture of Arabian splendour to my own homepage, a line of extremely violent thunderstorms burst upon Orgle Manor, the result of which meteorological violence being that the old homestead was without all power for nearly 60 hours and without telephone, cable or internet access for approximately 72 hours. I am far from expert on interpreting signs and portents and would gladly defer to the wisdom of, say, Fr. M for example, in such matters; however I cannot help but take the coincidence of your directive and this sudden outburst of nature's fury as a sign from the Almighty that my compliance with said directive just wouldn't do. Therefore, I must humbly beg to decline this undertaking. I understand the Committee may feel it has no choice but to strike my name from further consideration for election and would, of course, respect that decision. Even in the event that I am not elected to the RCBfA, however, I will continue to be ready and willing to hold your collective hats and cheer heartily from the sidelines. In no way should my actions be taken as either influenced by or supportive of the Society of Bluenose Catholic Crankypants or similar wet-blanket organizations. Rayther, I simply feel that in circumstances such as those that have presented themselves, who wants to roll the dice? Once again, thank you for the honor of your consideration. Your most humble, obedient &c., Robbo T. Llama Butcher
Posted by: Robert at 05:24 PM | Comments (22) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
My wife thinks I am a barbarian
for any one of a number of reasons, including:
We have two bug zappers-both of which are used indoors (kitchen and garage), rather than outside. The Future ROTC Scholarship Recipient, Our Little Debutante, and their assorted friends (most recently, the LLama-ettes) are constantly in and out of the house, hence the use of the zappers inside. (I love the sound of frying bugs in the first five minutes the lights are out.) I utterly lack any understanding of music, which was Mrs. LMC's minor in college. While Robbo and Mrs. LMC can not only play the piano but have informed discussions about 18th century composers, I am doomed to wonder if the selection being played had its origins two hundred years ago or was used recently in an ad jungle (e.g., "Meat! It is what is for breakfast.").(Which reminds of an Aaron Copland piece, so here it is:)
Finally, I drive without the A/C going in the present heat wave unless I am in a suit. Unlike my recent sojourn in Baghdad, the tempeture is under 100, I don't have to wear body armor, and I can drive with the windows down, so why not?
Posted by: LMC at 04:36 PM | Comments (24) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Happy Birthday to Anna Kournikova
Posted by: LMC at 09:08 AM | Comments (20) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
June 06, 2008
D-Day
President Franklin Roosevelt's speech to the Nation:
My Fellow Americans: Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our Allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far. And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer: Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity. Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith. They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph. They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest -- until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war. For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and goodwill among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home. Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom. And for us at home -- fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas, whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them -- help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice. Many people have urged that I call the nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts. Give us strength, too -- strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces. And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be. And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united crusade. Let not the keeness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment -- let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose. With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogances. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace -- a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil. Thy will be done, Almighty God. Amen.Posted by: LMC at 05:12 PM | Comments (24) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
New SitCom This Fall - "Friends"
Um, no not those friends. These friends:
Posted by: Gary at 03:40 PM | Comments (19) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
June 05, 2008
Good Housekeeping Via Mother Nature
We're coming up fast on 24 hours without power at Orgle Manor. Looks like the fridge and the freezer are going to get the cleaning out they both rayther need.
Posted by: Robert at 12:51 PM | Comments (22) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Must Try Harder
We're only at #3 (out of 280,000) for a UK Google search of "pictures of stupid llamas". We're also #3 (out of 448,000) for "llama gone crazy".
Steve-O? LMC? Gary? Chai-rista? More cough syrup!Posted by: Robert at 10:55 AM | Comments (22) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Must Read
Take a break from the election craziness and enjoy the newest Wired interview with Brian Eno.
Posted by: Chai-Rista at 10:10 AM | Comments (20) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Random Early Morning Observation
As I note below, the power has been out since yesterday afternoon at Orgle Manor due to the storms that blew through.
It's funny how your body keeps on working to routine even when temporarily deprived of external reminders. Of course, my clock-radio isn't working, but I woke up this morning at exactly the same time I do every day, and furthermore, knew to within about five minutes what time it was simply by the angle of the light, the level of birdsong and the flow of street traffic.Posted by: Robert at 08:16 AM | Comments (24) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
June 04, 2008
Ka-Boom!
One seriously large line of thunderstorms has just rolled into Your Nation's Capital. Looks like at least two more wodges may come through later on this afternoon and evening.
If you don't know about it yet, may I strongly recommend WeatherUnderground as your go-too on-line source of meteorological whistles and bells? Yes, I object to the name, too, but the site has teh goods, especially if you pay the five dollar yearly fee. MORNING AFTER UPDATE: Well, the first waive of storms rolled through, knocking down limbs and occassional whole trees, disrupting service on my metro line and knocking out the power. Then a second cloudburst formed up just as I was arriving at West Falls Church metro. Pan-farookin'-dae-mo-nium. However, the wine store was still open and after arming myself with a bottle or two of the L'Autrefois Pinot Noir (which for the price cannot be beat), I slowly made my way home around numerous detours, just beating the next line of storms in. Having disposed of the Llama-ettes for the night, I rousted out some apples, cheese and crackers, plus enough candles to read by and settled down for the evening. So it wasn't so bad after all. Lots of branches are down in the neighborhood of Orgle Manor, plus a few big trees. Plus, as of this morning the power is still out. (As are many traffic signals. Northern Virginia drivers do not typically play well without such adult supervision.) The Missus and the Llama-ettes are off to the vast and secure real estate holdings surrounding Fort LMC for the night, so if the power has not yet been restored, I may have to repeat last evening's entertainment. (And if the A/C hasn't kicked in, I may have to sleep in the basement, too.)Posted by: Robert at 02:21 PM | Comments (22) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
An Excellent Idea
Posted by: Robert at 12:54 PM | Comments (22) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Gratuitous Musickal Posting
On the musickal front, I'm also going to have to buy a performance of Gustav Holst's The Planets. Most of its movements are quite tedious to me. However, I think that Holst captures very well that air of Jovian jollity discussed above, and I've had that particular dance running through my head for the last couple days now. (I also like his treatment of Mars and his driving remorselessness. I'll be interested to see if and how that matches up with Ward's discussion of Mars, Lewis and Prince Caspian.)Well as it turns out, Lewis was very well acquainted with Holst's work and admired his treatment of Jupiter. He was less impressed with Holst's take on Mars because he didn't think Holst got across the point that the Martial spirit is not in itself good or bad, but is instead put to good or bad uses by those infused with it. As I said I would in my prior post, I have gone out and bought a copy of The Planets and cannot wait to pop it in and listen to these dances. As for Planet Narnia, I am now well into Ward's discussion of the ways in which Mercury permeates The Horse and His Boy. Go back and read my earlier post again in full. And go buy the book. Seriously. I have been so swept up with Ward's discussion of Lewis's Christianity, medieval and Renaissance scholarship and classical predilictions that I have felt positively elevated. I am an absolute moron when it comes to the eternal Truths embodied there. But I know those Truths exist. And the reflected light I receive from them through Lewis is - in a word - blissful. Indeed, after mulling over his writings on the metro yesterday afternoon and then listening to Bach as I drove home to Orgle Manor, I was so seized with the Spirit that I almost put the ol' jeep into a tree.
Posted by: Robert at 09:34 AM | Comments (19) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
June 03, 2008
The General Election Begins?
Sure, according to McCain. Of course a certain female candidate's campaign didn't get the memo just yet.
And Bill Bennett really nails this one:"[T]he Democratic party is about to nominate a far left candidate in the tradition of George McGovern, albeit without McGovern’s military and political record. The Democratic party is about to nominate a far-left candidate in the tradition of Michael Dukakis, albeit without Dukakis’s executive experience as governor. The Democratic party is about to nominate a far left candidate in the tradition of John Kerry, albeit without Kerry’s record of years of service in the Senate. The Democratic party is about to nominate an unvetted candidate in the tradition of Jimmy Carter, albeit without Jimmy Carter’s religious integrity as he spoke about it in 1976. Questions about all these attributes (from foreign policy expertise to executive experience to senatorial experience to judgment about foreign leaders to the instructors he has had in his cultural values) surround Barack Obama. And the Democratic party has chosen him."All this, and She Who Must Not Be Named has conceded the delegates but not the nomination fight. Ooooooh. This is good. Very good.
Posted by: Gary at 07:17 PM | Comments (20) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Gratuitous Art Posting
"Ulysses and the Sirens" - Herbert James Draper (1909)
Posted by: Robert at 03:11 PM | Comments (21) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Gratuitous Tolkien Geekery Posting
Last evening the eldest Llama-ette and I, along with Frodo, first met Strider at the Prancing Pony in Bree.
Whenever I read to the gels, I try to put as much, well, character into the characters as I can. I usually do this by imagining an actor or some other public figure and modelling my speech and inflection on them. Hunting around for a good model for Strider, I wasn't for an instant going to go anywhere near whats-his-name from the LOTR movies, because - apart from what you might think of Peter Jackson's "treatment" of the story - I thought him so horribly miscast for what Tolkien really had in mind. Instead, I went for someone more along the lines of Ciarán Hinds:
Also, I tried to throw in a touch of John Hurt. Why? Because he voiced Aragorn in that animated version of LOTR that Ralph Bakshi did back in the 70's. And as many problems as that movie had, I recall that he did a pretty good job.
(BTW, the Llama-ette thought my rendition of Butterbur was quite amusing, too.)
UPDATE: Per a suggestion in teh comments I'm still chuckling about -
"Tatersh? Wots tatersh, precioush?"
Posted by: Robert at 08:58 AM | Comments (26) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Remember this whenever you hear
someone extoll the virtues of socialized medicine: cancer patient has her government-paid treatment withdrawn after paying out of pocket for additional private care.
Via Kathy the Cake Eater who adds her own take.Posted by: LMC at 06:03 AM | Comments (21) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
June 02, 2008
Woo. Bloody. Hoo.
Got an interesting notice from the IRS in the mail today.
You see, the original tax rebate stimulus calculation bestowed upon the inhabitants of Orgle Manor the not inconsiderable sum of $2100.00. (That's married-filing-jointly plus three qualifying chill'uns.) Aaaaaaah, but not so fast...... You see, apparently owing to the Court at Versailles way in which we live, Uncle further calculated that $1883.50 of that sum should, er, not be sent to us. The result? The Fed'ral Guv'mint apparently is of the belief that it can jump-start the economy by depositing in the Orgle Manor coffers the sum of $216.50. As I say, woo. bloody. hoo. Guess there's nothing to do but toss a couple extra bundles of hundreds on the fire, kick the footmen especially hard, and horse-whip some of the villians working our extensive desmense. Of course, the Missus, always sensible, points out that it's surprising we're getting anything at all.Posted by: Robert at 10:06 PM | Comments (26) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
The next Charles Coughlin?
The more I read about Father Michael Pfleger, I more I am reminded of Fr. Charles Coughlin, a Depression-ear Catholic priest who went off the rails. I am wondering when the Chicago Archdiocese is going to step in and put the brakes on this guy.
BTW, I think I passed Pfleger outside the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago two years ago. I was arriving to meet a client before he testified and ran into a nut on the street in a Roman collar matching Pfleger's general description ranting on and on about the Iraq war. I was sorely tempted to engage him but he seemed well past the point of reason and continued on my way. UPDATE Yips! from Robbo: Fr. Pfleger asked to take a powder by his Cardinal.Posted by: LMC at 09:06 PM | Comments (23) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
LMC Election Prediction
McCain in a landslide reminiscent of the Nixon-McGovern blowout. The longer SWMNBN and the Messiah duke it out, the more he is revealed as a thin-skinned, shallow rookie with shady Chicago connections. Boys and gels, this is McCain's to lose. McCain's challenge--solidify the Republican base and don't blow it.
Non-Hatch Act Yips! from Robbo: I was just saying to the Mothe this weekend that my radar is beginning to pick up a new Pauline Kael Moment in the making. McCain can certainly blow it, but if he boxes carefully, He Who Thinks He Can Walk On Water will take himself down.Posted by: LMC at 06:57 PM | Comments (26) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
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