Tuesday, February 03, 2004
Speaking of Movies
Cool Hand Luke on TCM tonight. One of THE guy movies of all times. One question, tho. J'ever notice how, despite the fact that he's on a prison work gang down south doing hard labor 14 hours a day, Wayne Rodgers' glasses are always sparkling clean and never bent out of shape?
Jess askin'.
Cool Hand Luke on TCM tonight. One of THE guy movies of all times. One question, tho. J'ever notice how, despite the fact that he's on a prison work gang down south doing hard labor 14 hours a day, Wayne Rodgers' glasses are always sparkling clean and never bent out of shape?
Jess askin'.
Small World
Yesterday I discovered that I was, in fact, Elrond. Tonight, I think I've found my father-in-law.
Still no word on where Steve-O ranks in all this. I don't recollect a character called "Calvin the Beer-swilling Pundit."
Yesterday I discovered that I was, in fact, Elrond. Tonight, I think I've found my father-in-law.
Still no word on where Steve-O ranks in all this. I don't recollect a character called "Calvin the Beer-swilling Pundit."
Cocks Save Edwards
Today's strong showing in South Carolina propels John Edwards into the double jeopardy round. He's won in his backyard, and did much better than expected outside of his comfort zone [Iowa]. The
Today's strong showing in South Carolina propels John Edwards into the double jeopardy round. He's won in his backyard, and did much better than expected outside of his comfort zone [Iowa]. The
Gratuitous Bush Bashing (and No, I don't mean George)
This is grotesque. But Sullivan rides to the First Lady's rescue.
What else is there to say?
This is grotesque. But Sullivan rides to the First Lady's rescue.
What else is there to say?
Required Reading
John Keegan, one of whose books I believe I mentioned yesterday, is a brill military historian. He has an article in the Telegraph on the limits of usefulness of military intelligence and on the wisdom of launching another inquiry into the Iraqi WMD estimations.
Sometimes, we win because of good intelligence, but other factors play a part as well:
Excellent intelligence may, contrarily, appear to have been the key to victory, but closer inspection reveals that other factors were more important. At Midway in June 1942, the American Navy had again correctly identified the Japanese intentions for the operation and its date, location and timing; but, when action was joined, it was accidental factors that won the battle. In practice, the Japanese were winning the battle until the very last moment.
Sometimes we lose despite good intelligence:
In May 1941, the British, having intercepted and deciphered the complete German plan for the airborne invasion of Crete, including date, time, place, strength, methods and aims, were still unable to mount an effective defence and lost the island to a weaker force.
And sometimes the intelligence is just flat wrong:
A strange leak, the Oslo report, had warned the British in 1940 that Hitler was developing pilotless aircraft and rockets. It was ignored until, in 1943, reports from inside occupied Europe referred to the subject again.
A committee was set up, chaired by Duncan Sandys, Winston Churchill's son-in-law. Its findings were reviewed by another committee, of which Lord Cherwell, Churchill's scientific adviser, was the most important member. Cherwell absolutely denied the possibility of Germany having a rocket, and produced the scientific evidence to prove it. He persisted in his denial throughout 1943 until June 1944, when remains of a crashed V2 were brought to Britain from neutral Sweden. Shortly afterwards, the first operational V2 landed on London. Churchill was furious. "We've been caught napping," he burst out in Cabinet.
Keegan's point?
Little or nothing about the past, even about such a well-known episode as the V-weapons, has influenced those who have so violently denounced the Government over the so-called September dossier. Its critics have taken the view throughout that intelligence can and ought to be perfect, and that the editing of the dossier's contents amounted to systematic falsification. Not only does that attitude reveal the critics' complete ignorance of how intelligence is collected and assessed, it also suggests that they have not bothered to read the dossier, included complete in the Hutton report.
Now go read the whole thing.
John Keegan, one of whose books I believe I mentioned yesterday, is a brill military historian. He has an article in the Telegraph on the limits of usefulness of military intelligence and on the wisdom of launching another inquiry into the Iraqi WMD estimations.
Sometimes, we win because of good intelligence, but other factors play a part as well:
Excellent intelligence may, contrarily, appear to have been the key to victory, but closer inspection reveals that other factors were more important. At Midway in June 1942, the American Navy had again correctly identified the Japanese intentions for the operation and its date, location and timing; but, when action was joined, it was accidental factors that won the battle. In practice, the Japanese were winning the battle until the very last moment.
Sometimes we lose despite good intelligence:
In May 1941, the British, having intercepted and deciphered the complete German plan for the airborne invasion of Crete, including date, time, place, strength, methods and aims, were still unable to mount an effective defence and lost the island to a weaker force.
And sometimes the intelligence is just flat wrong:
A strange leak, the Oslo report, had warned the British in 1940 that Hitler was developing pilotless aircraft and rockets. It was ignored until, in 1943, reports from inside occupied Europe referred to the subject again.
A committee was set up, chaired by Duncan Sandys, Winston Churchill's son-in-law. Its findings were reviewed by another committee, of which Lord Cherwell, Churchill's scientific adviser, was the most important member. Cherwell absolutely denied the possibility of Germany having a rocket, and produced the scientific evidence to prove it. He persisted in his denial throughout 1943 until June 1944, when remains of a crashed V2 were brought to Britain from neutral Sweden. Shortly afterwards, the first operational V2 landed on London. Churchill was furious. "We've been caught napping," he burst out in Cabinet.
Keegan's point?
Little or nothing about the past, even about such a well-known episode as the V-weapons, has influenced those who have so violently denounced the Government over the so-called September dossier. Its critics have taken the view throughout that intelligence can and ought to be perfect, and that the editing of the dossier's contents amounted to systematic falsification. Not only does that attitude reveal the critics' complete ignorance of how intelligence is collected and assessed, it also suggests that they have not bothered to read the dossier, included complete in the Hutton report.
Now go read the whole thing.
Je Accuse!
John Cole over at Balloon Juice puts Josh Marshall under the interrogation lamp on charges of disgusting, filthy, horrid behavior that will remain in place until Marshall can prove them false. HT to Viking Pundit who wants to give Terry McCauliffe the same treatment.
This could turn into a cool parlor game. Let's see.....OH! I've got one: I hereby state my belief that James Carville conspired with Saddam to hide all the WMD before our boys got to Baghdad in order to discredit the President and gain political advantage for the Dems. I have no proof of this, but a lot of people are saying the same thing. I want to see absolute proof that Carville had nothing to do with this. Until I do, the charges stand.
Heh. I like that. Feel free to come up with your own. Send em in and we'll print them!
John Cole over at Balloon Juice puts Josh Marshall under the interrogation lamp on charges of disgusting, filthy, horrid behavior that will remain in place until Marshall can prove them false. HT to Viking Pundit who wants to give Terry McCauliffe the same treatment.
This could turn into a cool parlor game. Let's see.....OH! I've got one: I hereby state my belief that James Carville conspired with Saddam to hide all the WMD before our boys got to Baghdad in order to discredit the President and gain political advantage for the Dems. I have no proof of this, but a lot of people are saying the same thing. I want to see absolute proof that Carville had nothing to do with this. Until I do, the charges stand.
Heh. I like that. Feel free to come up with your own. Send em in and we'll print them!
You GIRLS!!!!!
Jane Galt reports that the Canadian Supreme Court has just outlawed spanking.
As I noted in comments to her post, I think this may generate some unintended consequences: If all I have to do to get a stretch of nice, quiet time in the slammer away from the maniacs now and then is to give them a smack, well, all I can say is lock and load!
Jane Galt reports that the Canadian Supreme Court has just outlawed spanking.
As I noted in comments to her post, I think this may generate some unintended consequences: If all I have to do to get a stretch of nice, quiet time in the slammer away from the maniacs now and then is to give them a smack, well, all I can say is lock and load!
Today's After 3:00 PM Half-Price Specials
It's List-Mania in the Butcher's Shop today! Go ahead and nibble on some of these delectables:
POLITICAL SAMPLER -
Howie Kurtz has a hilarious all-purpose media spin guide for tonight's mini-kinda-almost-Super-Tuesday primaries. You can bet reporters and pundits are downloading this baby all over the country so they can take the evening off and go see a nice show.
Meanwhile, Frank J has, er, advice for which ever one of this pack of monkeys eventually gets the nomination. Best suggestion? Run for president in some other country, you g'damn pinkos.
SAGE ADVICE -
I have no idea who Uncle Patrick is, but his advice to the younger generation is hi-larious. HT to Cold Fury for this gem.
SUPERBOWL ROUND-UP -
Tuesday Morning Quarterback breaks down the game. I hate to have to go to a column with photos of cheer-babes in it to get this kind of analysis, but hey, that's the breaks. I must have been reading TMQ for a while, now, because during the last Pats drive in the game, Carolina launched a blitz on third and long and my immediate reaction was "Don't do it!" a favorite theme of Gregg's. Result? Pats pick up 14 yards or so and drive on for the figgy and the win.
Meanwhile, the Bitch Girls point to the best comment on Janet Jackson's clothing malfunction. Mee-ow!!
LEND ME YOUR, ER, EYES -
A Perfectly Cromulent Blog is hosting the Carnival of the Vanities this week. No permalink as of yet, but by the time you read this, it'll probably be there somewhere. Go and check out some blogs neither you nor I have ever heard of before.
Aaaand, James Joyner, er, bravely agreed to host this week's Bonfire of the Vanities. Think of this little opus as the slutty friend of Carnival, your prom date - the one you secretly wished you were going with.
THEY'RE BAAAAACK -
Allah is back in the House and he is pissed.
On a saner note, Sine Qua Non is up and running again. He offers the same caution I do about putting too much weight behind early polls.
OH, WHAT THE HELL.....
Want a few more boobies? Go over to Dean's World.
UPDATE-
Taranto has been assimilated. We are the Blorg.
It's List-Mania in the Butcher's Shop today! Go ahead and nibble on some of these delectables:
POLITICAL SAMPLER -
Howie Kurtz has a hilarious all-purpose media spin guide for tonight's mini-kinda-almost-Super-Tuesday primaries. You can bet reporters and pundits are downloading this baby all over the country so they can take the evening off and go see a nice show.
Meanwhile, Frank J has, er, advice for which ever one of this pack of monkeys eventually gets the nomination. Best suggestion? Run for president in some other country, you g'damn pinkos.
SAGE ADVICE -
I have no idea who Uncle Patrick is, but his advice to the younger generation is hi-larious. HT to Cold Fury for this gem.
SUPERBOWL ROUND-UP -
Tuesday Morning Quarterback breaks down the game. I hate to have to go to a column with photos of cheer-babes in it to get this kind of analysis, but hey, that's the breaks. I must have been reading TMQ for a while, now, because during the last Pats drive in the game, Carolina launched a blitz on third and long and my immediate reaction was "Don't do it!" a favorite theme of Gregg's. Result? Pats pick up 14 yards or so and drive on for the figgy and the win.
Meanwhile, the Bitch Girls point to the best comment on Janet Jackson's clothing malfunction. Mee-ow!!
LEND ME YOUR, ER, EYES -
A Perfectly Cromulent Blog is hosting the Carnival of the Vanities this week. No permalink as of yet, but by the time you read this, it'll probably be there somewhere. Go and check out some blogs neither you nor I have ever heard of before.
Aaaand, James Joyner, er, bravely agreed to host this week's Bonfire of the Vanities. Think of this little opus as the slutty friend of Carnival, your prom date - the one you secretly wished you were going with.
THEY'RE BAAAAACK -
Allah is back in the House and he is pissed.
On a saner note, Sine Qua Non is up and running again. He offers the same caution I do about putting too much weight behind early polls.
OH, WHAT THE HELL.....
Want a few more boobies? Go over to Dean's World.
UPDATE-
Taranto has been assimilated. We are the Blorg.
State of Mind
Viking Pundit gives a bit of a fisking to E.J. Dionne, who is mooing about how unfair it is for evil right-wingers to subject the Great Commonwealth of Massachusetts to cheap caricatures. Here is Dionne in full indignation mode:
This is about more than John Kerry, who can defend himself. It's about how certain forms of cheap bigotry don't even get challenged. The right wing's attack on Massachusetts is a sign of intellectual laziness. It's easier to parody a people and a place than to defend a set of ideas.
Um, E.J.? Go on over to Google and type in "Bush +Texas +cowboy" and see what you get. No parodies or cheap shots there, no sirreee! Nothing about tall hats and big boots and six-shooters and frontier justice! Nope! Nothing about J.R. Ewing and Big Oil and roughnecks on the rig! Nope! Nope! Nothing about, oh, I dunno, rednecks who chain blacks to the back of their trucks and drag them to death (under Bush's watch, no less!) Nope! Nope! Nope! Puh-lease!
Oh, by the way, ran across this little gem whilst googling. I believe this is what passes for "defending a set of ideas" in Mr. Dionne's Sunny Massachusetts. (Note, particularly, the essay by Terry Jones of Monty Python fame. Sigh. I used to like him.)
Viking Pundit gives a bit of a fisking to E.J. Dionne, who is mooing about how unfair it is for evil right-wingers to subject the Great Commonwealth of Massachusetts to cheap caricatures. Here is Dionne in full indignation mode:
This is about more than John Kerry, who can defend himself. It's about how certain forms of cheap bigotry don't even get challenged. The right wing's attack on Massachusetts is a sign of intellectual laziness. It's easier to parody a people and a place than to defend a set of ideas.
Um, E.J.? Go on over to Google and type in "Bush +Texas +cowboy" and see what you get. No parodies or cheap shots there, no sirreee! Nothing about tall hats and big boots and six-shooters and frontier justice! Nope! Nothing about J.R. Ewing and Big Oil and roughnecks on the rig! Nope! Nope! Nothing about, oh, I dunno, rednecks who chain blacks to the back of their trucks and drag them to death (under Bush's watch, no less!) Nope! Nope! Nope! Puh-lease!
Oh, by the way, ran across this little gem whilst googling. I believe this is what passes for "defending a set of ideas" in Mr. Dionne's Sunny Massachusetts. (Note, particularly, the essay by Terry Jones of Monty Python fame. Sigh. I used to like him.)
Johnny Reb
I haven't seen Cold Mountain, but it does peek my curiosity as a Civil War buff. (I'll probably catch it when it comes around on pay-per-view.) In that vein, I use Steve-O's lede to link to an interesting post by Donald Sensing in which he discusses some of the aspects of the Confederate desertion problem. Interesting stuff.
I haven't seen Cold Mountain, but it does peek my curiosity as a Civil War buff. (I'll probably catch it when it comes around on pay-per-view.) In that vein, I use Steve-O's lede to link to an interesting post by Donald Sensing in which he discusses some of the aspects of the Confederate desertion problem. Interesting stuff.
Is That A Geiger Counter In Your Pocket, Or Are You Just Glad To See Me?
This is an encouraging piece of news to your humble host, as he sits about five blocks from the White House. I only hope the surveillance extends down into the Metro, which I continue to believe is an easy, open target for mayhem.
Found via The Command Post which, if you don't read regulalry, you should.
This is an encouraging piece of news to your humble host, as he sits about five blocks from the White House. I only hope the surveillance extends down into the Metro, which I continue to believe is an easy, open target for mayhem.
Found via The Command Post which, if you don't read regulalry, you should.
We watch em so you don't have to
The Llama's wife's aunt is in town, so that means date week for us! Saturday we went out and had good Mexican food followed by Big Fish, which turned out to be much funnier and delightful than I thought. One scene in particular involved a Chinese Army ventriloquist [trust me, it was hilarious], plus Steve Buscemi as a poet turned bank robber turned Wall Street guru. It was a hoot.
Last night, we finally saw Cold Mountain. I loved it, and it's not just because we live in a little town nestled at the base of the Blue Ridge in central Virginia. Renee Zellweger deserves the nominations she's getting: what was particularly funny was that she was channeling one of our secretaries at work, who is one of my favorite people in the world. Philip Seymour Hoffman's turn as a degenerate preacher was magnificent, not the least because he was the spitting image of our Dean, which just made the whole thing that much better. He's a bit of a poppinjay, as they used to say.
Both movies were preceded by trailers for Miracle, soon to be the greatest guy movie of all time. But what also looks good [in the truly bad movie category] is Brad Pitt as Achilles in Troy, coming this summer. When I first heard of it I thought it was a joke, but sure enough, it's real. We might have some competition for the #1 truly bad movie of all time [current holder of that distinction is of course Escape from New York, followed by Capricorn One and Red Dawn.
YIP! YIP! YIP! from Robbo - but let's make sure what we're talking about: Escape from New York and Red Dawn are good bad. Movies like, oh, I dunno, Thelma & Louise or Love Actually are bad bad. What is the difference? A simple question: Would I rather be watching this movie or eating rat poison?
The Llama's wife's aunt is in town, so that means date week for us! Saturday we went out and had good Mexican food followed by Big Fish, which turned out to be much funnier and delightful than I thought. One scene in particular involved a Chinese Army ventriloquist [trust me, it was hilarious], plus Steve Buscemi as a poet turned bank robber turned Wall Street guru. It was a hoot.
Last night, we finally saw Cold Mountain. I loved it, and it's not just because we live in a little town nestled at the base of the Blue Ridge in central Virginia. Renee Zellweger deserves the nominations she's getting: what was particularly funny was that she was channeling one of our secretaries at work, who is one of my favorite people in the world. Philip Seymour Hoffman's turn as a degenerate preacher was magnificent, not the least because he was the spitting image of our Dean, which just made the whole thing that much better. He's a bit of a poppinjay, as they used to say.
Both movies were preceded by trailers for Miracle, soon to be the greatest guy movie of all time. But what also looks good [in the truly bad movie category] is Brad Pitt as Achilles in Troy, coming this summer. When I first heard of it I thought it was a joke, but sure enough, it's real. We might have some competition for the #1 truly bad movie of all time [current holder of that distinction is of course Escape from New York, followed by Capricorn One and Red Dawn.
YIP! YIP! YIP! from Robbo - but let's make sure what we're talking about: Escape from New York and Red Dawn are good bad. Movies like, oh, I dunno, Thelma & Louise or Love Actually are bad bad. What is the difference? A simple question: Would I rather be watching this movie or eating rat poison?
Department of French Irrelevancy
The Professor links to an interesting article about how the Germans are rethinking their foreign policy in light of last year's debacle of holding Chirac's, er, Jacques. Money quote:
This is crucial for a number of reasons. A militant Franco-German alliance is not good for the world, let alone for "Europe" as it continues to emerge as a distinct political and economic entity. Particularly as the long dormant Franco-Russian alliance over dealing with the Middle East begins to reemerge, it is increasingly important for Germany to see her interests as not being subordinated to the Imperial Presidential Palace in Paris. Germany can and should make her own way, but she should recognize that over time the Americans will accomodate her interests in a way that the French never will.
The Professor links to an interesting article about how the Germans are rethinking their foreign policy in light of last year's debacle of holding Chirac's, er, Jacques. Money quote:
Say it ain't so. The romance that set hearts quivering and stomachs churning across Europe could be on the rocks. Germany's Gerhard Schröder is seeking to escape from his abusive relationship with France's Jacques Chirac - and is making eyes at Britain and America.
According to some reports, senior German officials worry that Chancellor Schröder was a prisoner of Jacques Chirac's foreign policy.
The gruesome twosome enjoy a close relationship, and not just in their mutual opposition to America's war on terror. Last year, Franco-German councils diverted European agricultural reform and tore up the Eurozone stability pact. They were at the heart of moves to create a 'fast lane' of EU integrationist states; there were even rumours of plots to unite France and Germany. Chirac represented Germany at an EU conference when Schröder was called away for a crucial domestic vote. And for the first time since the second world war, a German commander led a military parade down the Champs-Elysées on Bastille Day.
This sort of grandstanding appeals to the French, who rarely miss the opportunity to co-opt other nations' clout to magnify their own. France alone is fairly insignificant. France united with Germany and their tame satellites, Belgium and Luxembourg, is a more formidable proposition.
The Germans, however, are wondering what's in it for them. Schröder's anti-Americanism aside, the transatlantic relationship has always been important to Germany. Despite conflicts with Blair over Iraq and EU integration, Germans often feel closer to Brits than they do to the French.
Moreover, when EU expansion eastwards began to look like a reality in the early to mid 1990s, Germany was bullish: The EU's richest nation, at the heart of Europe, was expected to bridge east and west.
A decade on and Germany has lost its confidence. French fears and latterly gloominess regarding EU expansion seems to have infected the Germans. The row with Poland on the constitution didn't help, but prior to that, the new nations' rebuttal of the Franco-German position on Iraq undermined Germany's hopes of enjoying influence in Central and Eastern Europe.
Being the junior partner in the Greater France project has its advantages - German officials claim that progress in the EU is impossible without the agreement of the two nations - but these are far outweighed by the risks.
This is crucial for a number of reasons. A militant Franco-German alliance is not good for the world, let alone for "Europe" as it continues to emerge as a distinct political and economic entity. Particularly as the long dormant Franco-Russian alliance over dealing with the Middle East begins to reemerge, it is increasingly important for Germany to see her interests as not being subordinated to the Imperial Presidential Palace in Paris. Germany can and should make her own way, but she should recognize that over time the Americans will accomodate her interests in a way that the French never will.
Yikes! Ayn Rand Meets Maria Montessori!
A Montessori-style summer camp for crackpot (er, I mean, hard-core) Libertarians! The Butcher's Wife, who is a Montessori teacher and ardent worshipper of St. Maria, will get a big kick out of this. I'm thinking of activities like "Using tactile materials to prove the non-existence of God." And hiking, too!
No, no, I'm being overly harsh. In general, the interview seems to paint a pretty decent little set up. But you just know there are stacks of Atlas Shrugged lying around there and fire-side activities like "Name your favorite Fountainhead character."
HT to Mr. Martini, who is a libertarian, but not a Libertarian, if you follow me.
YIPS from Steve---There's an "A=A" joke in their somewhere, but my brain is too foggy this morning to find it.
A Montessori-style summer camp for crackpot (er, I mean, hard-core) Libertarians! The Butcher's Wife, who is a Montessori teacher and ardent worshipper of St. Maria, will get a big kick out of this. I'm thinking of activities like "Using tactile materials to prove the non-existence of God." And hiking, too!
No, no, I'm being overly harsh. In general, the interview seems to paint a pretty decent little set up. But you just know there are stacks of Atlas Shrugged lying around there and fire-side activities like "Name your favorite Fountainhead character."
HT to Mr. Martini, who is a libertarian, but not a Libertarian, if you follow me.
YIPS from Steve---There's an "A=A" joke in their somewhere, but my brain is too foggy this morning to find it.
A Little More, Perhaps?
How 'bout just a touch more Steyn. Different topic, so different post. Here, our man takes a fond look back at the good old days. As he says in his set up: I know the Clinton era was a holiday from history, but, after two years of waking up to death threats, accusations of Islamophobia, dirty-nuke rumours, etc, I kinda miss the dopey triviality of an age when the darkest rumours revolved around who’d offed Kathleen Willey’s cat.
Go read the whole thing.
How 'bout just a touch more Steyn. Different topic, so different post. Here, our man takes a fond look back at the good old days. As he says in his set up: I know the Clinton era was a holiday from history, but, after two years of waking up to death threats, accusations of Islamophobia, dirty-nuke rumours, etc, I kinda miss the dopey triviality of an age when the darkest rumours revolved around who’d offed Kathleen Willey’s cat.
Go read the whole thing.
Today's Choice Cuts
Not much volume, oh but every bite is delectable. Hitch and Steyn deliver a tag-team body slam to the Isolationist Fedayin, applicable to both sides of the pond. Money quote from Steyn:
The Left is remarkably nonchalant about these new terrors. When nuclear weapons were an elite club of five relatively sane world powers, the Left was convinced the planet was about to go ka-boom any minute, and the handful of us who survived would be walking in a nuclear winter wonderland. Now anyone with a few thousand bucks and an unlisted number in Islamabad in his Rolodex can get a nuke, and the Left couldn't care less.
Yup. But he also has words of wisdom for Conservatives as well:
The Right should know better. If he wants, Mr Howard can have some sport with Mr Blair. But, if he aids the perception that Blair took Britain to war under false pretences, the Tories will do the country a grave disservice. One day Mr Howard might be prime minister and, chances are, in the murky world that lies ahead, he'll have to commit British forces on far less hard evidence than existed vis à vis Saddam. Conservatives shouldn't assist the Western world's self-loathing fringe in imposing a burden of proof that can never be met. The alternative to pre-emption is defeat. If you want a real "underlying issue", that's it.
The political situation in Britain is, of course, different than it is here, since Blair is a Labourite under fire from the Right and Bush is a Republican under fire from the Left. Nonetheless, these words apply to everyone - there is simply too much at stake to allow petty domestic rivalries to bog down our ability to recognize and meet the challenge. This is World War IV, people, whether we like it or not. The White House cannot flinch in the face of "gotcha" burden of proof attacks from the Dems. And Kerry should keep in mind that, like Howard, he too might have to lead forces into battle in defense of the country without a U.N. permission slip, without "smoking gun" proof and based on his intelligence services' best guess of what the bad guys are doing. Would he be up to the challenge? That's what he ought to be talking about on the stump.
Not much volume, oh but every bite is delectable. Hitch and Steyn deliver a tag-team body slam to the Isolationist Fedayin, applicable to both sides of the pond. Money quote from Steyn:
The Left is remarkably nonchalant about these new terrors. When nuclear weapons were an elite club of five relatively sane world powers, the Left was convinced the planet was about to go ka-boom any minute, and the handful of us who survived would be walking in a nuclear winter wonderland. Now anyone with a few thousand bucks and an unlisted number in Islamabad in his Rolodex can get a nuke, and the Left couldn't care less.
Yup. But he also has words of wisdom for Conservatives as well:
The Right should know better. If he wants, Mr Howard can have some sport with Mr Blair. But, if he aids the perception that Blair took Britain to war under false pretences, the Tories will do the country a grave disservice. One day Mr Howard might be prime minister and, chances are, in the murky world that lies ahead, he'll have to commit British forces on far less hard evidence than existed vis à vis Saddam. Conservatives shouldn't assist the Western world's self-loathing fringe in imposing a burden of proof that can never be met. The alternative to pre-emption is defeat. If you want a real "underlying issue", that's it.
The political situation in Britain is, of course, different than it is here, since Blair is a Labourite under fire from the Right and Bush is a Republican under fire from the Left. Nonetheless, these words apply to everyone - there is simply too much at stake to allow petty domestic rivalries to bog down our ability to recognize and meet the challenge. This is World War IV, people, whether we like it or not. The White House cannot flinch in the face of "gotcha" burden of proof attacks from the Dems. And Kerry should keep in mind that, like Howard, he too might have to lead forces into battle in defense of the country without a U.N. permission slip, without "smoking gun" proof and based on his intelligence services' best guess of what the bad guys are doing. Would he be up to the challenge? That's what he ought to be talking about on the stump.
Gratuitous Professional Blogging
It's an icy day in Your Nation's Capitol. Schools closed, government delayed and so forth. Nonetheless, Yours Truly saddled up the hoss and slip-slided his way downtown from the wilds of McLean because he was supposed to have a meeting this morning.
Turns out that the other party has cancelled. Not because of the weather, but because of some other conflict that just came up.
Well.
Suppose I should have checked messages before starting out, but c'mon, you can't expect me to think that early in the day......
It's an icy day in Your Nation's Capitol. Schools closed, government delayed and so forth. Nonetheless, Yours Truly saddled up the hoss and slip-slided his way downtown from the wilds of McLean because he was supposed to have a meeting this morning.
Turns out that the other party has cancelled. Not because of the weather, but because of some other conflict that just came up.
Well.
Suppose I should have checked messages before starting out, but c'mon, you can't expect me to think that early in the day......
Monday, February 02, 2004
Gratuitous Domestic Blogging (TM)
Well, I was all set to sit down this evening and tell you about my family life, particularly about the girls.
There was to be a bit about the five year old, with whom I have started reading "The Magician's Nephew" at her request, after having read "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" twice, "The Horse and His Boy" and parts of "Prince Caspian." She's infatuated with Aslan and is really picking up on some of the Christian imagery as well. We had also tried to start "The Hobbit," but she kept dozing off - she may be a weee bit young for that. On the other hand, have I told you that the other day she read "The Cat in the Hat" to me? Right the way through. Inflection and everything. Not yet six years old. I'm pretty damn proud of that.
There was to be a little something about the four year old, who tonight picked up a little chad of paper and said, "What's this?"
"That's a little piece of paper, dear."
"Oh. For putting up my nose?"
"Um, no, dear, not for that."
"Oh. MWAH-ha-ha-ha-haaaa!!!!!"
(Proceeds to put it up her nose.)
Needless to say, this one is a bit of a crack-pot.
There was to be a little something else about the two year old, with whom I have a game of Top This when we're changing poopy diapers - a process I loathe more than anything else in this world. The object is to show the greatest amount of disgust possible:
"Eewwwww!"
"Eeeewww!"
"Bleh!"
"Bleh!"
"Dis-GUST-ing!"
"Dththtppttt!!"
"Yucky!"
"Yrrrrrrr!"
And so on.
Alas, this has not been the principal occupation of my evening. Instead, it was the furnace.
When I got home this evening, things seemed a little chilled. I thought maybe a door had been left open a crack. Nope. So I changed into a sweater and khakis and still felt chilly. I figured it was because the sweater had just come out of the drier and was slightly damp. But after we put the girls down, I glanced at the thermostat in the front hall. Desired temp? 70 degrees. Actual temp? 58 degrees.
Oh, crap.
Went and had a look at the furnace. This is where I appreciate that I truly know nothing useful. I've had, altogether, over 20 years of schooling. But I don't know jack about what was going on in there. I could feel that the unit was still getting electricity. I could occassionally hear the gas starting to turn on and then cutting back out. But nothing else happened. No spark. No firing. NO GODDAM HOT AIR!
Hmmm.
Well, I do know enough Socrates (and Bill & Ted) to know that true wisdom consists of knowing that you know nothing. So rather than try to fiddle with it myself, I called the furnace fix-it guys. I got bounced around between various call-services and dispatchers (one even demanded to know the file number of our service contract. How the @#$(*&@# should I know? It's freezing! Just send someone! I'll pay you anything!)
Eventually a very nice, polite guy showed up at the door. Poor fellah, actually had to come all the way up Route 1 from south of Alexandria past a major accident - it took him better than an hour to get here. But he took one look at the thing and said "faulty ignition circuit." And so it was. Hey, presto! All fixed. Problem solved. As I type, warm air starting to flow back into house. Not a moment too soon, as is cold as hell outside and an ice storm of some dimension is on the way in.
But all this has thrown the evening.
Damn.
Sorry about that, folks, but this is my life (and welcome to it, as Thurber would say).
Well, I was all set to sit down this evening and tell you about my family life, particularly about the girls.
There was to be a bit about the five year old, with whom I have started reading "The Magician's Nephew" at her request, after having read "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" twice, "The Horse and His Boy" and parts of "Prince Caspian." She's infatuated with Aslan and is really picking up on some of the Christian imagery as well. We had also tried to start "The Hobbit," but she kept dozing off - she may be a weee bit young for that. On the other hand, have I told you that the other day she read "The Cat in the Hat" to me? Right the way through. Inflection and everything. Not yet six years old. I'm pretty damn proud of that.
There was to be a little something about the four year old, who tonight picked up a little chad of paper and said, "What's this?"
"That's a little piece of paper, dear."
"Oh. For putting up my nose?"
"Um, no, dear, not for that."
"Oh. MWAH-ha-ha-ha-haaaa!!!!!"
(Proceeds to put it up her nose.)
Needless to say, this one is a bit of a crack-pot.
There was to be a little something else about the two year old, with whom I have a game of Top This when we're changing poopy diapers - a process I loathe more than anything else in this world. The object is to show the greatest amount of disgust possible:
"Eewwwww!"
"Eeeewww!"
"Bleh!"
"Bleh!"
"Dis-GUST-ing!"
"Dththtppttt!!"
"Yucky!"
"Yrrrrrrr!"
And so on.
Alas, this has not been the principal occupation of my evening. Instead, it was the furnace.
When I got home this evening, things seemed a little chilled. I thought maybe a door had been left open a crack. Nope. So I changed into a sweater and khakis and still felt chilly. I figured it was because the sweater had just come out of the drier and was slightly damp. But after we put the girls down, I glanced at the thermostat in the front hall. Desired temp? 70 degrees. Actual temp? 58 degrees.
Oh, crap.
Went and had a look at the furnace. This is where I appreciate that I truly know nothing useful. I've had, altogether, over 20 years of schooling. But I don't know jack about what was going on in there. I could feel that the unit was still getting electricity. I could occassionally hear the gas starting to turn on and then cutting back out. But nothing else happened. No spark. No firing. NO GODDAM HOT AIR!
Hmmm.
Well, I do know enough Socrates (and Bill & Ted) to know that true wisdom consists of knowing that you know nothing. So rather than try to fiddle with it myself, I called the furnace fix-it guys. I got bounced around between various call-services and dispatchers (one even demanded to know the file number of our service contract. How the @#$(*&@# should I know? It's freezing! Just send someone! I'll pay you anything!)
Eventually a very nice, polite guy showed up at the door. Poor fellah, actually had to come all the way up Route 1 from south of Alexandria past a major accident - it took him better than an hour to get here. But he took one look at the thing and said "faulty ignition circuit." And so it was. Hey, presto! All fixed. Problem solved. As I type, warm air starting to flow back into house. Not a moment too soon, as is cold as hell outside and an ice storm of some dimension is on the way in.
But all this has thrown the evening.
Damn.
Sorry about that, folks, but this is my life (and welcome to it, as Thurber would say).
Wha-? Politics? Oh, All Right.....
Punch the Bag is frustrated as a Conservative because he believes Bush is in trouble. Well, I'm not quite ready to write the farewell note and toddle off to hang myself in the barn just yet.
First, on the whole WMD broo-ha-ha, it does not look as if the Dems are going to be able to tag Dubya with the LIAR LIAR meme. At worst, everybody's intelligence agencies got hoodwinked. At best, we simply don't yet know exactly what happened. The Kay Report makes it plain that Saddam had all the bits and pieces in place to get his program up and running as soon as he thought our backs were turned.
Now, barring some hideous situation this coming year in which Iraq becomes a bloodbath, are the Dems really going to argue that the country or the world would be better off if Saddam had remained in power? I agree that pressing the WMD angle in order to sell our plans to other countries was, in hind-sight, a tactical error, and that we are going to face credibility problems because of it in the future. But the bottom line is a very, very good net result, not just in Iraq, but in Libya, Pakistan, (potentially) Iran, etc., etc. It is tough to argue with success.
On the spending front, yes, there are a lot of folks in the base who are getting cheesed. But that seems to be having some effect on the Hill and at the White House. I'll bet you some of those planned spending proposals get quietly deep sixed. Another thing to consider is that if the economy keeps growing as it has been for a bit now, revenue estimates are going to have to be revised upwards. I think this will probably squelch a lot of the doom and gloom about deficits.
As for the jobs, well, I'm no economist. But I've always understood that job growth is a trailing indicator, lagging behind other signs of growing prosperity. If that is the case, we ought to see a job surge this spring and the issue goes away.
Now I'm not saying Dubya can't lose. Of course he can. And it'll probably be a lot more of a fight than we might have believed previously. But it certainly can be won. I continue to believe that when it counts, the majority of the issues are going to be going in Dubya's direction.
One other thing - It's waaaaaaay early. Remember that right now the Dems are in full campaign mode and grabbing the spotlight. Dubya has barely fired a shot and is engaged in trying to run the country. That's why polls like this don't overly concern me. There really is nothing for the base to focus its energy on yet. Wait'll things start hotting up. I think you'll see a renewed burst of enthusiasm, if for no other reason than because many who are griping now will be reminded exactly why we simply cannot afford the possibility of letting a Dem get the White House back this time.
In the meantime, have a cocktail and relax.
UPDATE: Speaking of cocktails, the Imbiber of Non-Gin Martinis has the same views about early polls. I like Stephen's theory about why Kerry's face looks "fresh." Heh.
Punch the Bag is frustrated as a Conservative because he believes Bush is in trouble. Well, I'm not quite ready to write the farewell note and toddle off to hang myself in the barn just yet.
First, on the whole WMD broo-ha-ha, it does not look as if the Dems are going to be able to tag Dubya with the LIAR LIAR meme. At worst, everybody's intelligence agencies got hoodwinked. At best, we simply don't yet know exactly what happened. The Kay Report makes it plain that Saddam had all the bits and pieces in place to get his program up and running as soon as he thought our backs were turned.
Now, barring some hideous situation this coming year in which Iraq becomes a bloodbath, are the Dems really going to argue that the country or the world would be better off if Saddam had remained in power? I agree that pressing the WMD angle in order to sell our plans to other countries was, in hind-sight, a tactical error, and that we are going to face credibility problems because of it in the future. But the bottom line is a very, very good net result, not just in Iraq, but in Libya, Pakistan, (potentially) Iran, etc., etc. It is tough to argue with success.
On the spending front, yes, there are a lot of folks in the base who are getting cheesed. But that seems to be having some effect on the Hill and at the White House. I'll bet you some of those planned spending proposals get quietly deep sixed. Another thing to consider is that if the economy keeps growing as it has been for a bit now, revenue estimates are going to have to be revised upwards. I think this will probably squelch a lot of the doom and gloom about deficits.
As for the jobs, well, I'm no economist. But I've always understood that job growth is a trailing indicator, lagging behind other signs of growing prosperity. If that is the case, we ought to see a job surge this spring and the issue goes away.
Now I'm not saying Dubya can't lose. Of course he can. And it'll probably be a lot more of a fight than we might have believed previously. But it certainly can be won. I continue to believe that when it counts, the majority of the issues are going to be going in Dubya's direction.
One other thing - It's waaaaaaay early. Remember that right now the Dems are in full campaign mode and grabbing the spotlight. Dubya has barely fired a shot and is engaged in trying to run the country. That's why polls like this don't overly concern me. There really is nothing for the base to focus its energy on yet. Wait'll things start hotting up. I think you'll see a renewed burst of enthusiasm, if for no other reason than because many who are griping now will be reminded exactly why we simply cannot afford the possibility of letting a Dem get the White House back this time.
In the meantime, have a cocktail and relax.
UPDATE: Speaking of cocktails, the Imbiber of Non-Gin Martinis has the same views about early polls. I like Stephen's theory about why Kerry's face looks "fresh." Heh.
We Hates It!
Steve-O will appreciate this. HT to Absinthe and Cookies.
And before you think that as a Fanatical Purist I am so blinkered as to damn anything that stains the beauty of Professor Tolkien's works, I wil just say that this is, in fact, one of the funniest things I've ever read. (Evidently it has been reissued as part of the current gold rush. Go buy it.)
Aaaaand HERE's a question: What LOTR character are you?
Turns out that I am Elrond. Unfortunately, every time I see him, a little voice in the back of my mind says, "Goodbye, Mister....Anderson."
Steve-O will appreciate this. HT to Absinthe and Cookies.
And before you think that as a Fanatical Purist I am so blinkered as to damn anything that stains the beauty of Professor Tolkien's works, I wil just say that this is, in fact, one of the funniest things I've ever read. (Evidently it has been reissued as part of the current gold rush. Go buy it.)
Aaaaand HERE's a question: What LOTR character are you?
Turns out that I am Elrond. Unfortunately, every time I see him, a little voice in the back of my mind says, "Goodbye, Mister....Anderson."
Stacked Deck
Heh all 'round.
Some day, it will be my turn...........
(Oh, DREAM! the im-POSS-ible DREEEEAM!!)
(HT to the Politburo Diktat, of course. Da Svedanya!)
Heh all 'round.
Some day, it will be my turn...........
(Oh, DREAM! the im-POSS-ible DREEEEAM!!)
(HT to the Politburo Diktat, of course. Da Svedanya!)
Hi-Larious
Check this out if you've got some time on your hands. Or feel free to read a few, go be productive, read a few, go be productive.....
HT to Senior Smirnoff (who'd probably be really pissed if he knew I called him that). Heh.
Check this out if you've got some time on your hands. Or feel free to read a few, go be productive, read a few, go be productive.....
HT to Senior Smirnoff (who'd probably be really pissed if he knew I called him that). Heh.
Huh?
I know I'm no expert on sports matters, but this seems exactly wrong. As Bob Newhart used to say in his stand-up comedy bit as press advisor to Abraham Lincoln, "No, no, Abe, first a rail-splitter, then a lawyer."
I know I'm no expert on sports matters, but this seems exactly wrong. As Bob Newhart used to say in his stand-up comedy bit as press advisor to Abraham Lincoln, "No, no, Abe, first a rail-splitter, then a lawyer."
Today's Choice Cuts And After 3:00 PM Half-Price Specials
Yes, they're one and the same today and it's up to you, the discerning reader, to sort out the prime from the, er, other bits. Good luck! And remember the National Poison Control Hotline number is 1-800-222-1222!
WMD FALLOUT: Lots of continued rumblings from the Kay revelations. Bill Buckley notes that recent events have effectively cleared both Bush and Blair of the LIAR! charge. I'll bet by the end of summer John Kerry is really going to regret having said some of the things he has. Meanwhile James Joyner takes a whack at those demanding omniscience. On the other hand, Michael Ledeen cautions against assuming there is nothing more to learn on the ground in Iraq. Finally, David Warren has some useful things to say about the intelligence-gathering process. (HT to Roger Simon.) This on-line essay is almost identical to an editorial by James Woolsey in today's Wall Street Journal, in which he argues that more agents on the ground in Iraq might not have made much difference, because the whole place had turned into the Twilight Zone.
THE COUNTER-REVOLUTION BEGINS: Joanne Jacobs has a heartening post about the return of sanity to some college literature courses and the demise of fashionable theory. May it come as soon as possible! As an English major myself, I got bushwacked several times by this sort of thing. Once, I signed up for a course on Medieval French literature which turned out to be a semester-long study of Derrida and deconstructionism. Geh. BTW, Steve-O asked recently what the American counterpart to Derrida would be. The answer is Paul De Man, an ardent admirer of Derrida and the first champeen of deconstructionism in America when he taught at Yale. Granted, de Man was an immigrant and not home grown. 'Course, he was also a Nazi collaborator in Holland during the war. But the great thing about a literary theory in which words have no meaning is that words have no meaning! How convieeeeeeenient!
BTW, speaking of literature, a sweet little op-ed column in today's paper WSJ by Ray Bradbury proposing a parlor game that only a Lit major would find fun. (I would.) I didn't even know the guy was still alive!
RICH DOCTOR BASTARDS: Our old friend TM Lutas has a nice post on medical economics. I toss this in for the benefit of my brother who is a doc in West Virginia and spends many long hours banging his head against the wall and asking himself why he didn't get into pimping instead.....
BLOGGING 101: Terry Teachout has some pointers on the how and why of blogging. Most important: 14. If you want to be noticed, you have to blog every day. Ain't it da trute! (HT to Jeff Jarvis who is always worth reading on this subject to.)
BLOGGER BABE (OR, JANET AIN'T GOT NUTHIN ON THIS!): In case you haven't seen her before, Glenn has posted a new photo of the InstaWife. Yow. After further review, James Joyner overrules a challenge to the inclusion of Mrs. R in the category of "Babes of the Blogsphere."
ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIIIIIGHT SIDE OF LIFE!: Josh Claybourn reports that Mel Gibson is fiddling with the ending of The Passion in order to avoid getting tagged with charges of anti-Semitism. I think that all audience members ought to receive one of these as a thank- you present. (HT to The Cranky Professor.)
JOKE OF THE DAY: Donald Luskin has a good one.
TARANTO WATCH: I am seriously beginning to believe that James is playing a game of chicken with me, waiting until after the Specials are up before he posts his Best of the Web. Fool. He has been assimilated. We are the Blorg.
Yes, they're one and the same today and it's up to you, the discerning reader, to sort out the prime from the, er, other bits. Good luck! And remember the National Poison Control Hotline number is 1-800-222-1222!
WMD FALLOUT: Lots of continued rumblings from the Kay revelations. Bill Buckley notes that recent events have effectively cleared both Bush and Blair of the LIAR! charge. I'll bet by the end of summer John Kerry is really going to regret having said some of the things he has. Meanwhile James Joyner takes a whack at those demanding omniscience. On the other hand, Michael Ledeen cautions against assuming there is nothing more to learn on the ground in Iraq. Finally, David Warren has some useful things to say about the intelligence-gathering process. (HT to Roger Simon.) This on-line essay is almost identical to an editorial by James Woolsey in today's Wall Street Journal, in which he argues that more agents on the ground in Iraq might not have made much difference, because the whole place had turned into the Twilight Zone.
THE COUNTER-REVOLUTION BEGINS: Joanne Jacobs has a heartening post about the return of sanity to some college literature courses and the demise of fashionable theory. May it come as soon as possible! As an English major myself, I got bushwacked several times by this sort of thing. Once, I signed up for a course on Medieval French literature which turned out to be a semester-long study of Derrida and deconstructionism. Geh. BTW, Steve-O asked recently what the American counterpart to Derrida would be. The answer is Paul De Man, an ardent admirer of Derrida and the first champeen of deconstructionism in America when he taught at Yale. Granted, de Man was an immigrant and not home grown. 'Course, he was also a Nazi collaborator in Holland during the war. But the great thing about a literary theory in which words have no meaning is that words have no meaning! How convieeeeeeenient!
BTW, speaking of literature, a sweet little op-ed column in today's paper WSJ by Ray Bradbury proposing a parlor game that only a Lit major would find fun. (I would.) I didn't even know the guy was still alive!
RICH DOCTOR BASTARDS: Our old friend TM Lutas has a nice post on medical economics. I toss this in for the benefit of my brother who is a doc in West Virginia and spends many long hours banging his head against the wall and asking himself why he didn't get into pimping instead.....
BLOGGING 101: Terry Teachout has some pointers on the how and why of blogging. Most important: 14. If you want to be noticed, you have to blog every day. Ain't it da trute! (HT to Jeff Jarvis who is always worth reading on this subject to.)
BLOGGER BABE (OR, JANET AIN'T GOT NUTHIN ON THIS!): In case you haven't seen her before, Glenn has posted a new photo of the InstaWife. Yow. After further review, James Joyner overrules a challenge to the inclusion of Mrs. R in the category of "Babes of the Blogsphere."
ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIIIIIGHT SIDE OF LIFE!: Josh Claybourn reports that Mel Gibson is fiddling with the ending of The Passion in order to avoid getting tagged with charges of anti-Semitism. I think that all audience members ought to receive one of these as a thank- you present. (HT to The Cranky Professor.)
JOKE OF THE DAY: Donald Luskin has a good one.
TARANTO WATCH: I am seriously beginning to believe that James is playing a game of chicken with me, waiting until after the Specials are up before he posts his Best of the Web. Fool. He has been assimilated. We are the Blorg.
Why I'm not a Pats fan
I was born in Boston and grew up in Connecticut. I live and die [mostly die] by the Celts, and am trying to give up the Sox. But folks always asked me why I couldn't stand the Pats.
This is why.
I was born in Boston and grew up in Connecticut. I live and die [mostly die] by the Celts, and am trying to give up the Sox. But folks always asked me why I couldn't stand the Pats.
This is why.
No word on whether the Who were playing
This is so completely sad yet utterly and bizzarrely sick. I don't know what to say.
Scrappleface however does.
UPDATE: Oxblog has further thoughts to put things in context.
This is so completely sad yet utterly and bizzarrely sick. I don't know what to say.
Scrappleface however does.
UPDATE: Oxblog has further thoughts to put things in context.
Mon dieu!
After reading this insightful little essay in the IHT, I believe we as a nation need to humbly bow and scrape to our betters for forgiveness! How did I not see the real source of the world's woes?
Meanwhile, our stalwart Gallic "allies" prepare to do their part in the War on Islamic Fascism and Terror by surrendering to schoolgirls. No word on whether the girls were speaking German.
After reading this insightful little essay in the IHT, I believe we as a nation need to humbly bow and scrape to our betters for forgiveness! How did I not see the real source of the world's woes?
Meanwhile, our stalwart Gallic "allies" prepare to do their part in the War on Islamic Fascism and Terror by surrendering to schoolgirls. No word on whether the girls were speaking German.
Election Roundup from the Post
Howard Kurtz asks if John Kerry is the next piniata: the answer, of course is yes.
The polls: South Carolina has Edwards up over Kerry by five points, with Clark leading Oklahoma over Kerry by one. Both need to win tomorrow.
WIPE THAT GRIN OFF YOUR FACE: You can almost see the gleeful drool on this David Broder piece, which should be entitled "The Revenge of the Old Guard."
Howard Kurtz asks if John Kerry is the next piniata: the answer, of course is yes.
The polls: South Carolina has Edwards up over Kerry by five points, with Clark leading Oklahoma over Kerry by one. Both need to win tomorrow.
WIPE THAT GRIN OFF YOUR FACE: You can almost see the gleeful drool on this David Broder piece, which should be entitled "The Revenge of the Old Guard."
Speaking of the FCC....
I didn't turn on the Game yesterday until the start of the second half, so I missed the by-now-famous Nipplepalooza at half-time. But the web is sure full of it this morning, with the usual division of Hide The Childrens' Eyes!, How Lame, Just Get Over It!, and Great! New Material!.
As for CBS's "apology" and claim that it was an accident - don't you believe it. "Wardrobe malfunction," my ass. That whole stunt was planned by the good folks at MTV who had stated beforehand that the show was going to be a real shocker. The whole thing was aimed at titillating (sorry) the young and jerking the chains of the old.
Best comment I've seen so far is this email to Jonah Goldberg over at NRO. I, too, no longer watch games when the kids are around for fear they will see some of those ads. But I am also sufficiently numbed as not to be surprised by anything, even something like this. Yup, just an expensive piece o' trash making an idiot of herself. The second writer's analogy to five-year-olds standing around saying "poo-poo" in order to get a rise out of the folks is exactly right. (I know this from first-hand experience.) If you start hopping up and down and having hysterics, the kids have won. Seems to me the best response is to remain calm, cool and collected whilst reaching for a big stick.
Will an FCC investigation and punishment amount to anything? Prob'ly not. On the other hand, the House is currently considering giving the Commission real teeth by drastically raising the ceiling on fines it can impose for indecency. A big stunt like this is sure to add fuel to that push, particularly in an election year.
I didn't turn on the Game yesterday until the start of the second half, so I missed the by-now-famous Nipplepalooza at half-time. But the web is sure full of it this morning, with the usual division of Hide The Childrens' Eyes!, How Lame, Just Get Over It!, and Great! New Material!.
As for CBS's "apology" and claim that it was an accident - don't you believe it. "Wardrobe malfunction," my ass. That whole stunt was planned by the good folks at MTV who had stated beforehand that the show was going to be a real shocker. The whole thing was aimed at titillating (sorry) the young and jerking the chains of the old.
Best comment I've seen so far is this email to Jonah Goldberg over at NRO. I, too, no longer watch games when the kids are around for fear they will see some of those ads. But I am also sufficiently numbed as not to be surprised by anything, even something like this. Yup, just an expensive piece o' trash making an idiot of herself. The second writer's analogy to five-year-olds standing around saying "poo-poo" in order to get a rise out of the folks is exactly right. (I know this from first-hand experience.) If you start hopping up and down and having hysterics, the kids have won. Seems to me the best response is to remain calm, cool and collected whilst reaching for a big stick.
Will an FCC investigation and punishment amount to anything? Prob'ly not. On the other hand, the House is currently considering giving the Commission real teeth by drastically raising the ceiling on fines it can impose for indecency. A big stunt like this is sure to add fuel to that push, particularly in an election year.
Tomorrow's news today
You know the Sydney Morning Herald headline writer had a good laugh with this one.
You know the Sydney Morning Herald headline writer had a good laugh with this one.
D'OH!
The FCC's new Caller ID rules went into effect this weekend. (Here's the news release, if you're interested.) Under the new rules, telemarketers are not allowed to block their own phone numbers from being shown on their intended victims' Caller ID.
Pretty good, right? Nnnnnrrrrttt!!!! Wrong!
I have Caller ID on my office phone (as well as at home). We are plagued here by telemarketers and in the past, as a matter of principle, I simply didn't bother to answer any blocked ID call. Now I have to, even if I don't recognize the number, because it might be someone calling me for professional reasons. I just can't tell any more.
Thanks a lot.
The FCC's new Caller ID rules went into effect this weekend. (Here's the news release, if you're interested.) Under the new rules, telemarketers are not allowed to block their own phone numbers from being shown on their intended victims' Caller ID.
Pretty good, right? Nnnnnrrrrttt!!!! Wrong!
I have Caller ID on my office phone (as well as at home). We are plagued here by telemarketers and in the past, as a matter of principle, I simply didn't bother to answer any blocked ID call. Now I have to, even if I don't recognize the number, because it might be someone calling me for professional reasons. I just can't tell any more.
Thanks a lot.
Corrupt? Moi?
Glenn's comments about the shenanigans surrounding the investigation of Alain Juppe reminded me of something I think a lot of Americans may not fully appreciate about the French.
We have a large French client for whom we do a considerable amount of regulatory work. Licensing and so on. Now the usual drill with the bureaucracy in Your Nation's Capitol is that you put together your application, with attendant exhibits, etc., make sure all the i's are dotted and t's crossed, slap on the inevitable filing fee, and shoot it in. Sometimes you have to follow up with the staff processing it, answering questions and so forth, sometimes not. Sometimes it is challenged by a third party, in which case you submit written counter-arguments, sometimes not.
The process can often take some time. Certain kinds of regulatory authorizations typically take six to eight months, for example, much longer if challenged. But all rivers eventually wind to the sea. Sooner or later, the staff gets through ingesting what you propose and acts accordingly. Most often, the authorization you seek is granted without any further ado. End of story.
Our French clients have never believed this.
Frequently when we speak to them, we are treated to a taste of their views of how the government works: they constantly fret that someone in Washington might have it in for them for political reasons, and is therefore likely to instruct the bureaucracy to "lose" their application. They worry that competitors are sneaking behind their backs and paying off someone to stop them. They refuse to believe that delays in obtaining grants are simply the result of the slow motion of the bureaucracy. In short, they assume government to be shady, crooked, corrupt, and fully capable of any number of diabolical acts, both legal and illegal. They've never come out and asked us point blank who they need to bribe to protect themselves, but you know what they're thinking.
To us, the Juppe business is appalling. I'm afraid that to the French, it's just the way of the world.
UPDATE: The Christian Science Monitor sheds more light on corruption-as-usual in France. And
Cato The Youngest relays a San Fran Chronicle report. Yis, nozzink to zee 'ere, mon ami!
Glenn's comments about the shenanigans surrounding the investigation of Alain Juppe reminded me of something I think a lot of Americans may not fully appreciate about the French.
We have a large French client for whom we do a considerable amount of regulatory work. Licensing and so on. Now the usual drill with the bureaucracy in Your Nation's Capitol is that you put together your application, with attendant exhibits, etc., make sure all the i's are dotted and t's crossed, slap on the inevitable filing fee, and shoot it in. Sometimes you have to follow up with the staff processing it, answering questions and so forth, sometimes not. Sometimes it is challenged by a third party, in which case you submit written counter-arguments, sometimes not.
The process can often take some time. Certain kinds of regulatory authorizations typically take six to eight months, for example, much longer if challenged. But all rivers eventually wind to the sea. Sooner or later, the staff gets through ingesting what you propose and acts accordingly. Most often, the authorization you seek is granted without any further ado. End of story.
Our French clients have never believed this.
Frequently when we speak to them, we are treated to a taste of their views of how the government works: they constantly fret that someone in Washington might have it in for them for political reasons, and is therefore likely to instruct the bureaucracy to "lose" their application. They worry that competitors are sneaking behind their backs and paying off someone to stop them. They refuse to believe that delays in obtaining grants are simply the result of the slow motion of the bureaucracy. In short, they assume government to be shady, crooked, corrupt, and fully capable of any number of diabolical acts, both legal and illegal. They've never come out and asked us point blank who they need to bribe to protect themselves, but you know what they're thinking.
To us, the Juppe business is appalling. I'm afraid that to the French, it's just the way of the world.
UPDATE: The Christian Science Monitor sheds more light on corruption-as-usual in France. And
Cato The Youngest relays a San Fran Chronicle report. Yis, nozzink to zee 'ere, mon ami!
Oy
Safety tip for men: don't, as a joke, when your wife turns 40, to decorate the cake with a prominent display of the roman numerals....
I actually didn't do that--I'm smarter than that, or at least had one of those Anthony Michael Hall moments when I touched myself and saw the future of how I would die [that sentence reads even more bizarrely than the way it sounded in my head]. It was a nice party--she wanted low key, so we had low key. The cake was very nice--Ben and Jerry's chocolate, decorated to look like a ladybug. Happiness ensued, at least until the inlaws showed up. My step-mother in law is a die hard dyed in the wool leftie, and so there was much holding of the tongue on my part at the dinner table.
It was a quiet weekend around Rancho Non Sequitur--I painted the wee-est one's room and puttered around the office in the basement. By "puttering around" I mean of course playing Command & Conquer: Generals--Zero Hour until my fingertips bled. I'm not some petty warblogger---when I play those types of games I always name the opposing armies after folks in the English and History departments that piss me off. I like doing that with Age of Empires: there's nothing quite like using a bevy of super catapults to completely level a colleague's castle to work through the post-faculty meeting grrrrrrrs.
Busy week around here: today the kiddies get their first moot court, which is a variation of the Regina v. Dudley cannibalism in a lifeboat case from the 1880s. We also start Ronald Dworkin's Law's Empire, which is fun to look at in conjunction with HLA Hart's Concept of Law. For the seminar this afternoon, we are looking at English colonial approaches to American Indian law, building up to the Northwest Ordinance and the Constitution. So, not much snarking until later.
WAIT FOR IT: The Roman numeral for 40 is of course "XL."
Safety tip for men: don't, as a joke, when your wife turns 40, to decorate the cake with a prominent display of the roman numerals....
I actually didn't do that--I'm smarter than that, or at least had one of those Anthony Michael Hall moments when I touched myself and saw the future of how I would die [that sentence reads even more bizarrely than the way it sounded in my head]. It was a nice party--she wanted low key, so we had low key. The cake was very nice--Ben and Jerry's chocolate, decorated to look like a ladybug. Happiness ensued, at least until the inlaws showed up. My step-mother in law is a die hard dyed in the wool leftie, and so there was much holding of the tongue on my part at the dinner table.
It was a quiet weekend around Rancho Non Sequitur--I painted the wee-est one's room and puttered around the office in the basement. By "puttering around" I mean of course playing Command & Conquer: Generals--Zero Hour until my fingertips bled. I'm not some petty warblogger---when I play those types of games I always name the opposing armies after folks in the English and History departments that piss me off. I like doing that with Age of Empires: there's nothing quite like using a bevy of super catapults to completely level a colleague's castle to work through the post-faculty meeting grrrrrrrs.
Busy week around here: today the kiddies get their first moot court, which is a variation of the Regina v. Dudley cannibalism in a lifeboat case from the 1880s. We also start Ronald Dworkin's Law's Empire, which is fun to look at in conjunction with HLA Hart's Concept of Law. For the seminar this afternoon, we are looking at English colonial approaches to American Indian law, building up to the Northwest Ordinance and the Constitution. So, not much snarking until later.
WAIT FOR IT: The Roman numeral for 40 is of course "XL."
My. Brain. Hurts.
Very, very nice night away Friday night and in to Saturday. Even got to go to a bookstore and pick up Robert Kagan's history of the Peleponesian Wars. Got home Saturday afternoon and ran straight into the maelstrom of over-stimulated kiddies. Then, early evening I get a call from the office. Big deadline Monday and they need my help. Sigh. Spent all day yesterday downtown slogging through this stuff. Got back home and the maelstrom was still going strong. Did manage to see last half of the Super Bowl. Aside from the fact that the wrong team won, what a good game.
By now, you're saying "Jim, is there a point to this?" Well, yes. Point is I haven't seen the news in three days. For all I know, the Cylons have finally located us and wiped out half the Earth's population already. So it's going to be a bit before I can ramp back up and start distributing pearls of wisdom and nifty links. Patience, my friends.
Oh, I did hear one thing - the groundhog saw his shadow this morning. Six more weeks of winter. This I can readily believe. I can't remember it being this cold this long here for quite some time. The Potomac has been frozen over well down below the 14th Street bridge for a couple weeks now. The snowfall we had last weekend is still very much on the ground. And more coming tonight. May as well be in Cleveland......
Oh, one other thing - we've had some mail notifying us that people are getting a blank screen when they try and dial in our website. This isn't us, it's Blogger. (Damn you, Blogger!) I notice the same thing with other sites. You just have to re-type the address a couple times. But if you've read this far, you obviously have got through and are one of the few, the happy few, the band of brothers.
On that note, I shall now try to wake up. More later, including (hopefully) a big ol' combined Today's Choice Cuts (TM) and Today's After 3:00 PM Half-Price Specials (TM) and maybe some Gratuitious Domestic Blogging (TM) as well.
Very, very nice night away Friday night and in to Saturday. Even got to go to a bookstore and pick up Robert Kagan's history of the Peleponesian Wars. Got home Saturday afternoon and ran straight into the maelstrom of over-stimulated kiddies. Then, early evening I get a call from the office. Big deadline Monday and they need my help. Sigh. Spent all day yesterday downtown slogging through this stuff. Got back home and the maelstrom was still going strong. Did manage to see last half of the Super Bowl. Aside from the fact that the wrong team won, what a good game.
By now, you're saying "Jim, is there a point to this?" Well, yes. Point is I haven't seen the news in three days. For all I know, the Cylons have finally located us and wiped out half the Earth's population already. So it's going to be a bit before I can ramp back up and start distributing pearls of wisdom and nifty links. Patience, my friends.
Oh, I did hear one thing - the groundhog saw his shadow this morning. Six more weeks of winter. This I can readily believe. I can't remember it being this cold this long here for quite some time. The Potomac has been frozen over well down below the 14th Street bridge for a couple weeks now. The snowfall we had last weekend is still very much on the ground. And more coming tonight. May as well be in Cleveland......
Oh, one other thing - we've had some mail notifying us that people are getting a blank screen when they try and dial in our website. This isn't us, it's Blogger. (Damn you, Blogger!) I notice the same thing with other sites. You just have to re-type the address a couple times. But if you've read this far, you obviously have got through and are one of the few, the happy few, the band of brothers.
On that note, I shall now try to wake up. More later, including (hopefully) a big ol' combined Today's Choice Cuts (TM) and Today's After 3:00 PM Half-Price Specials (TM) and maybe some Gratuitious Domestic Blogging (TM) as well.
Saturday, January 31, 2004
Not exactly what Al Gore had in mind when he invented the internet
Best visit to the Llamabutchers from a Google search so far:
goat + heads+ saudi+butchers
Didn't realize santeria was making inroads in the land of Mecca. Someone better alert this guy.
Best visit to the Llamabutchers from a Google search so far:
goat + heads+ saudi+butchers
Didn't realize santeria was making inroads in the land of Mecca. Someone better alert this guy.
Friday, January 30, 2004
Ben versus Howard Stinker Watch
Amount spent on Dean for America [so far]: $40 million.
Budget to make Gigli: $54 million.
Any bets on which will be the more expensive bomb?
Amount spent on Dean for America [so far]: $40 million.
Budget to make Gigli: $54 million.
Any bets on which will be the more expensive bomb?
The Weekend
Another heapin' helpin' of bloggy goodness! I defy anybody to find another site that's managed to talk about nekked Kate Hepburn, damn Yankees, needless anti-cannibal bias, Violent Femmes lyrics and exploding whale carcasses while at the same time giving crack (or at least cracked) political analysis of a wide variety of current events today. But that's us Llama Butchers - working for you.
Having said that, I'm outta here until some time late tomorrow. I am sure my fellow LB Steve-O is already perusing the news on the Far Side of the World for your pleasure, so I'll leave the Bridge to him.
YIP! YIP! YIP! YIP! YIP!
Another heapin' helpin' of bloggy goodness! I defy anybody to find another site that's managed to talk about nekked Kate Hepburn, damn Yankees, needless anti-cannibal bias, Violent Femmes lyrics and exploding whale carcasses while at the same time giving crack (or at least cracked) political analysis of a wide variety of current events today. But that's us Llama Butchers - working for you.
Having said that, I'm outta here until some time late tomorrow. I am sure my fellow LB Steve-O is already perusing the news on the Far Side of the World for your pleasure, so I'll leave the Bridge to him.
YIP! YIP! YIP! YIP! YIP!
Being Mad Howard
Steve Verdon reminds Diane Sawyer, Chris Matthews and all the other I Have A Scream penitents, that The Doctor has shown he is perfectly capable of shooting himself in the mouth without their help. HT to James Joyner.
Steve Verdon reminds Diane Sawyer, Chris Matthews and all the other I Have A Scream penitents, that The Doctor has shown he is perfectly capable of shooting himself in the mouth without their help. HT to James Joyner.
Special Bonus Friday Choice Cut
Stephen Green takes doctrinaire libertarians to the woodshed over at VodkaPundit. Go. Read.
Stephen Green takes doctrinaire libertarians to the woodshed over at VodkaPundit. Go. Read.
The "Frickin' Revolution" hits the brick wall
In the olden days, you had to wait at least six months before this sort of stuff showed up--now it comes the next day. Cackle away.
In the olden days, you had to wait at least six months before this sort of stuff showed up--now it comes the next day. Cackle away.
BTW
Just wanted to let Steve-O know that "nekked pics of Katharine Hepburn" has been tatooed on my brain all day, and it ain't a pretty thought!
YIPS from Steve: Just in time for your special weekend with the Butcher's Wife! Pick up some leeches on the way home and maybe you can act out the penulitmate scene from The African Queen!!!
Just wanted to let Steve-O know that "nekked pics of Katharine Hepburn" has been tatooed on my brain all day, and it ain't a pretty thought!
YIPS from Steve: Just in time for your special weekend with the Butcher's Wife! Pick up some leeches on the way home and maybe you can act out the penulitmate scene from The African Queen!!!
Today's After 3:00 PM Half-Price Specials
I'm in quite a good mood this afternoon, in anticipation of a rather special evening: Dinner at the home of some dear friends, followed by night at local Hyatt, completely kid free! Woooo, Ah say, Wooo-Hoooooo!!! Given that, let's get jiggy:
BLOGGING BLOGGERS AND THE BLOGS THEY BLOG:
"Citizen Media" is what Jeff Jarvis calls the blogsphere in a long, thoughtful article on its future. I like that. Given the amazing technological advancements of the past few years, we are closer to the pure Marketplace of Ideas than any time in history that I can think of. What does the future hold? Beats me. But as a lowly insect in this new ecosystem, I like to think we're in on something pretty cool.
Meanwhile, congrats to SpinSanity for their new gig with the Philadelphia Inquirer. Whaddaya think, Steve-O, would the C-Ville Review take us on? We could do the personals for them: Tall, curly-haired Andean natives seeking free-spirited partners for snarking. Must provide own cutlery. Then we could head on down to Court Square Tavern and see who looks interested.....
And on the Quis Custodiet Front, check out the Watchers of Weasels, a new site to me. 'Course, they'd be better off watching Llamas, but that's a matter of taste. (HT to Dean.)
WE MEANT TO MAME HIM, NOT KILL HIM, DEPT:
Cold Fury and NRO's Tim Graham both zero in on Diane Sawyer for performing a sack-cloth-and-ashes-dance over the media saturation of Mad Howard's "I Have A Scream" speech. I heard Chris Matthews say the same sort of thing when he was jawing with my drive-time radio jocks Tuesday morning before the NH primaries. Real regret? Sincere acknowledgement of biased presentation and possible abuse of power? With their track record? (Think Quayle, Starr, et al.) Puh-leease. I think what we're really seeing here is the collective realization that if Dean craters too soon, it's gonna be a looooong spring.
EFF'N CATS...I MEAN, NICE KITTY, KITTY!
Eugene Volokh has a report on the latest legal lunacy in the Great White North. Just last night I was asking why we had to spend hundreds of dollars on checkups to keep our cats vaccinated and medicated when the worst possible outcome of not doing so would be that they die. I mean, is that a problem? Evidently, in Canada I'd get arrested just for not giving them kitty-treats when they want them. (Now, if this were a dog-only standard, of course I'd feel quite differently about it.)
CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES, DEPT:
Flo King rails about the Invasion of the Duh! People. I clearly remember this one from when it came out in print a few years back. And oldie but goodie, as they say. BTW, Mom, if you opened this link, you'd see another link that would let you buy me Flo's book. Now do you see the importance of these things?
WELL, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IT SOMEWHERE, DEPT:
What better for a Friday afternoon than this little gem from Amish Tech Support? Yup, anyone who's ever beer-goggled will know the wisdom of having reservations about this sort of thing....
YOU MAKE THE CALL, DEPT:
Okay, which is more disgusting: This picture of the exploding whale Steve-O wrote about earlier this week(HT to Spoons)? Or this photo of the Arch-Bozo of Canterbury Rowan Williams getting pinned by his prom date (courtesy of the Limey Brit)? Tough choice!
IF HE'S ELIMINATED, CAN I HAVE THE COUCH?
Frank J is gunning for Jonah! Man, what a dog-eat-dog world. BTW, if a dog eats another dog in Canada, can it be arrested now? Just askin', eh.
NOW THAT HE'S ASSIMILATED, CAN I HAVE THE HITS?
Taranto processing completed. We are the Blorg.
I'm in quite a good mood this afternoon, in anticipation of a rather special evening: Dinner at the home of some dear friends, followed by night at local Hyatt, completely kid free! Woooo, Ah say, Wooo-Hoooooo!!! Given that, let's get jiggy:
BLOGGING BLOGGERS AND THE BLOGS THEY BLOG:
"Citizen Media" is what Jeff Jarvis calls the blogsphere in a long, thoughtful article on its future. I like that. Given the amazing technological advancements of the past few years, we are closer to the pure Marketplace of Ideas than any time in history that I can think of. What does the future hold? Beats me. But as a lowly insect in this new ecosystem, I like to think we're in on something pretty cool.
Meanwhile, congrats to SpinSanity for their new gig with the Philadelphia Inquirer. Whaddaya think, Steve-O, would the C-Ville Review take us on? We could do the personals for them: Tall, curly-haired Andean natives seeking free-spirited partners for snarking. Must provide own cutlery. Then we could head on down to Court Square Tavern and see who looks interested.....
And on the Quis Custodiet Front, check out the Watchers of Weasels, a new site to me. 'Course, they'd be better off watching Llamas, but that's a matter of taste. (HT to Dean.)
WE MEANT TO MAME HIM, NOT KILL HIM, DEPT:
Cold Fury and NRO's Tim Graham both zero in on Diane Sawyer for performing a sack-cloth-and-ashes-dance over the media saturation of Mad Howard's "I Have A Scream" speech. I heard Chris Matthews say the same sort of thing when he was jawing with my drive-time radio jocks Tuesday morning before the NH primaries. Real regret? Sincere acknowledgement of biased presentation and possible abuse of power? With their track record? (Think Quayle, Starr, et al.) Puh-leease. I think what we're really seeing here is the collective realization that if Dean craters too soon, it's gonna be a looooong spring.
EFF'N CATS...I MEAN, NICE KITTY, KITTY!
Eugene Volokh has a report on the latest legal lunacy in the Great White North. Just last night I was asking why we had to spend hundreds of dollars on checkups to keep our cats vaccinated and medicated when the worst possible outcome of not doing so would be that they die. I mean, is that a problem? Evidently, in Canada I'd get arrested just for not giving them kitty-treats when they want them. (Now, if this were a dog-only standard, of course I'd feel quite differently about it.)
CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES, DEPT:
Flo King rails about the Invasion of the Duh! People. I clearly remember this one from when it came out in print a few years back. And oldie but goodie, as they say. BTW, Mom, if you opened this link, you'd see another link that would let you buy me Flo's book. Now do you see the importance of these things?
WELL, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IT SOMEWHERE, DEPT:
What better for a Friday afternoon than this little gem from Amish Tech Support? Yup, anyone who's ever beer-goggled will know the wisdom of having reservations about this sort of thing....
YOU MAKE THE CALL, DEPT:
Okay, which is more disgusting: This picture of the exploding whale Steve-O wrote about earlier this week(HT to Spoons)? Or this photo of the Arch-Bozo of Canterbury Rowan Williams getting pinned by his prom date (courtesy of the Limey Brit)? Tough choice!
IF HE'S ELIMINATED, CAN I HAVE THE COUCH?
Frank J is gunning for Jonah! Man, what a dog-eat-dog world. BTW, if a dog eats another dog in Canada, can it be arrested now? Just askin', eh.
NOW THAT HE'S ASSIMILATED, CAN I HAVE THE HITS?
Taranto processing completed. We are the Blorg.
More corruption in Halliburton's Amerika
Gratuitous impersonation of a DemocraticUnderground.com posting:
Gratuitous impersonation of a DemocraticUnderground.com posting:
Stuff like this, man, makes me so ashamed at being an Amerikan! Our politicians are bought and sold like second rate weed at a Phish concert!
That's what you get
Make some random gratuitous cannibal jokes, then come across this five minutes later in the IHT.
Make some random gratuitous cannibal jokes, then come across this five minutes later in the IHT.
Fun with Teaching Evaluations
We just got back out teaching evaluations for the fall. I include a question on the bottom "Did the instructor show bias in favor of, or against any particular political or ideological group or viewpoint? If so, what was this bias in favor of? The answers are usually quite fun, because I spend most of the time playing devil's advocate with them----my real views come out, but so do a lot others.
I put the question in to insulate me at tenure time, something that as a conservative professor you need to think about and that my more liberal colleagues would never really understand. Anyhoo, I've kept it in because most of the answers beyond "no, he encouraged us to think" turn out to be quite hilarious. Only one student has ever pegged me correctly, when she accused me of being a "Damn Yankee!" True enough.
These two gems have made the Hall of Fame [ie my office door]
Well, sure!
This one warmed my heart:
I didn't realize it showed.
To the question "Please comment on strengths and weaknesses of this course, and suggest changes that might be beneficial" one student unwittingly provided a good description of the Socratic Method:
The reading was a bit difficult for the class level and since there was so much of it, it was very hard to absorb all the information. The lectures were interesting if sometimes frustrating when no one could come up with the "correct" answer to what seemed like an open-ended question. If you came up with an answer, it was always turned into a new question!"
Heh.
We just got back out teaching evaluations for the fall. I include a question on the bottom "Did the instructor show bias in favor of, or against any particular political or ideological group or viewpoint? If so, what was this bias in favor of? The answers are usually quite fun, because I spend most of the time playing devil's advocate with them----my real views come out, but so do a lot others.
I put the question in to insulate me at tenure time, something that as a conservative professor you need to think about and that my more liberal colleagues would never really understand. Anyhoo, I've kept it in because most of the answers beyond "no, he encouraged us to think" turn out to be quite hilarious. Only one student has ever pegged me correctly, when she accused me of being a "Damn Yankee!" True enough.
These two gems have made the Hall of Fame [ie my office door]
Yes. Prof. [Llamabutcher] appears to be biased against needless cannibalism!
Well, sure!
This one warmed my heart:
He was biased in favor of students and against useless administrative crap, which was awesome and made class quite funny at times.
I didn't realize it showed.
To the question "Please comment on strengths and weaknesses of this course, and suggest changes that might be beneficial" one student unwittingly provided a good description of the Socratic Method:
The reading was a bit difficult for the class level and since there was so much of it, it was very hard to absorb all the information. The lectures were interesting if sometimes frustrating when no one could come up with the "correct" answer to what seemed like an open-ended question. If you came up with an answer, it was always turned into a new question!"
Heh.
Today's Choice Cuts
Ya-Hoo, it's Friday!
KAY-O'ED: If Mom is dummy this round, she might want to go straight to
Krauthammer this morning, as he douses the Bush LIED meme with his usual deft skill, ably abetted by the emerging details of the Kay Report. And not a moment too soon. Sure enough, the haughty, French-looking Massachusetts liberal, who by the way served in Vietnam, is now claiming Dubya has "failed" as Commander in Chief. John, I'd be reeaaal careful about using that line. The more the Kay Report is digested, the clearer it is that Bush did the right thing. And I still strongly believe that we're going to find out a whole lot more about just what a psycho nut-job Iraq was becoming over the next few months. You keep that up, my friend, and you're going to wind up looking like this. Heh.
Meanwhile, Claudia Rosett reminds us that the whole Where Are The WMD's? issue is beside the point. My impression is that most Americans still understand this on a gut level. It will be up to Dubya and his friends to make sure that the country (and the voters) continue to keep their eye on the ball. Along these lines, VodkaMan notes that this isn't the first time our intelligence services have been duped. Don't feel too bad about missing this one Stephen. But no more mulligans.
BIG PICTURE REALITY CHECK: The incomparable
VDH once more reminds us of what really is important and what is not. Punch line: Our efforts in Iraq to remove a genocidal murderer and inaugurate democracy are not a "quagmire," but one of the brightest moments in recent American history  and we need not be ashamed to say that, again and again and again. I hope the White House reads this column, and I hope you do to.
PRIMARY NUMBERS: How 'bout some Steyn on the State of the Race? It's useful to think of the primaries as casting auditions in front of a group of hard-core movie industry types. The actor selected may look good to them, but the question always remains: How will he play to a real audience. After all, someone thought Timothy Dalton would make a good James Bond. Somebody thought Ben Affleck and J-Lo would sell. Right now, Kerry is getting a boost amongst the insiders. But will he play in Peoria? Mark doesn't think so.
READY FOR SOMETHING LIGHTER? Mr. Lileks gives us the heads up about a new horror that makes the Teletubbies look like Noel Coward. Never heard of a Boobaah, myself, but now that I know what to look for I can strangle that particular demon spawn in its crib.
AAAAND: Megan Cox Gurden skewers the Capable Mother. Yes, Ma'am, the Butcher's Wife and I both know the type. I got my first look at erotic jazz dance and kiddies in fishnets at my daughter's ballet recital. Here was my dear little five year old dressed up in a princess leotard and tutu, the very picture of Innocence. Two minutes later, out came a gaggle of girls barely a year older than her dressed like prostitutes and Getting Their Freak On on the stage. And their parents were cheering! Jesus, Mary and Joseph, what have we come to?
Enjoy!
Ya-Hoo, it's Friday!
KAY-O'ED: If Mom is dummy this round, she might want to go straight to
Krauthammer this morning, as he douses the Bush LIED meme with his usual deft skill, ably abetted by the emerging details of the Kay Report. And not a moment too soon. Sure enough, the haughty, French-looking Massachusetts liberal, who by the way served in Vietnam, is now claiming Dubya has "failed" as Commander in Chief. John, I'd be reeaaal careful about using that line. The more the Kay Report is digested, the clearer it is that Bush did the right thing. And I still strongly believe that we're going to find out a whole lot more about just what a psycho nut-job Iraq was becoming over the next few months. You keep that up, my friend, and you're going to wind up looking like this. Heh.
Meanwhile, Claudia Rosett reminds us that the whole Where Are The WMD's? issue is beside the point. My impression is that most Americans still understand this on a gut level. It will be up to Dubya and his friends to make sure that the country (and the voters) continue to keep their eye on the ball. Along these lines, VodkaMan notes that this isn't the first time our intelligence services have been duped. Don't feel too bad about missing this one Stephen. But no more mulligans.
BIG PICTURE REALITY CHECK: The incomparable
VDH once more reminds us of what really is important and what is not. Punch line: Our efforts in Iraq to remove a genocidal murderer and inaugurate democracy are not a "quagmire," but one of the brightest moments in recent American history  and we need not be ashamed to say that, again and again and again. I hope the White House reads this column, and I hope you do to.
PRIMARY NUMBERS: How 'bout some Steyn on the State of the Race? It's useful to think of the primaries as casting auditions in front of a group of hard-core movie industry types. The actor selected may look good to them, but the question always remains: How will he play to a real audience. After all, someone thought Timothy Dalton would make a good James Bond. Somebody thought Ben Affleck and J-Lo would sell. Right now, Kerry is getting a boost amongst the insiders. But will he play in Peoria? Mark doesn't think so.
READY FOR SOMETHING LIGHTER? Mr. Lileks gives us the heads up about a new horror that makes the Teletubbies look like Noel Coward. Never heard of a Boobaah, myself, but now that I know what to look for I can strangle that particular demon spawn in its crib.
AAAAND: Megan Cox Gurden skewers the Capable Mother. Yes, Ma'am, the Butcher's Wife and I both know the type. I got my first look at erotic jazz dance and kiddies in fishnets at my daughter's ballet recital. Here was my dear little five year old dressed up in a princess leotard and tutu, the very picture of Innocence. Two minutes later, out came a gaggle of girls barely a year older than her dressed like prostitutes and Getting Their Freak On on the stage. And their parents were cheering! Jesus, Mary and Joseph, what have we come to?
Enjoy!
Thursday, January 29, 2004
Like, "Yo" and stuff
Sometime today our thousandth visitor stumbled in, wondering what the heck a "Llamabutcher" is. The debate rages: are we butchers who serve up tasty bits of llama? Or are we fierce high-Andean barbarians weilding sharpened cleavers? You make the call.
Anyway, that traffic rates us as "lowly bug" status, but I say it's pretty good for our first six weeks. According to site meter, we're popping up regularly in eleven time zones, so it's not just Rob's mom hitting the refresh button between bridge hands. Thanks!
PS--And to the viewer who found us by googling "nekkid pics of kate hepburn" my only response is.....EEWWWWWW!
Sometime today our thousandth visitor stumbled in, wondering what the heck a "Llamabutcher" is. The debate rages: are we butchers who serve up tasty bits of llama? Or are we fierce high-Andean barbarians weilding sharpened cleavers? You make the call.
Anyway, that traffic rates us as "lowly bug" status, but I say it's pretty good for our first six weeks. According to site meter, we're popping up regularly in eleven time zones, so it's not just Rob's mom hitting the refresh button between bridge hands. Thanks!
PS--And to the viewer who found us by googling "nekkid pics of kate hepburn" my only response is.....EEWWWWWW!
Huh?
So let me get this straight: journalists need to be given broad margins of error in which to report stories that may be false, but intelligence agencies and governments acting on their analysis must be always right beyond a reasonable doubt?
So let me get this straight: journalists need to be given broad margins of error in which to report stories that may be false, but intelligence agencies and governments acting on their analysis must be always right beyond a reasonable doubt?
Rob, you're going to like this
Pejman has some interesting observations on the collapsing state of post-modern humanities departments.
I remember reading once that we gave the French Jerry Lewis, so they gave us Derrida. We responded by giving them Mickey Rourke. Heaven help us for what we are going to get in return...
Pejman has some interesting observations on the collapsing state of post-modern humanities departments.
I remember reading once that we gave the French Jerry Lewis, so they gave us Derrida. We responded by giving them Mickey Rourke. Heaven help us for what we are going to get in return...
Howard Dean's New Campaign Anthem
Courtesy of the Violent Femmes:
Y'know that I want your lovin'
But my logic tells me that it ain't never gonna happen
And then my defense'd say I didn't want it anyway
But you know sometimes I'm a liar
Could you ever want me to love you
Could you ever want me to care
Disregard my nervousness please ignore my vacant stares
'Cause just what I've been through
Is nothing like where I'm going to
Give me some sign to pursue a promise
And your unhappi-ness is only a guess
Harsh? The latest cutting edge theories from the political savants at....the Democratic Underground.
Courtesy of the Violent Femmes:
Y'know that I want your lovin'
But my logic tells me that it ain't never gonna happen
And then my defense'd say I didn't want it anyway
But you know sometimes I'm a liar
Could you ever want me to love you
Could you ever want me to care
Disregard my nervousness please ignore my vacant stares
'Cause just what I've been through
Is nothing like where I'm going to
Give me some sign to pursue a promise
And your unhappi-ness is only a guess
Harsh? The latest cutting edge theories from the political savants at....the Democratic Underground.
From The Mailbag
Re my ranting earlier today about the comic strip "Cathy":
"Cathy" getting married must be an indication the strip is on the ropes, circulation is dropping, and desperate measures are necessary. If the strip was a television sitcom, the main character would be getting married, having a baby, or indulging in lesbian experimentation.
Yes, and Oh, I hope the strip really is going down. More ranting evidently is called for, because someone apparently still reads the bloody thing: This goddam tripe has scraped across my soul like an iron claw on a blackboard for time out of mind. Every time I see a "Cathy" calendar, balloon, greeting card, coffee mug or other piece of cheap merchandise, I feel an overwhelming urge to rip it into little pieces, stamp on the bits, and slap silly the person who was fool enough to buy it. If there is any prospect of dragging this opus out behind the barn and putting a .45 slug in its brain, I will gladly hold the executioner's coat and hat and retrieve the spent shell casings.
Honest to God, I never understood the popularity of the strip. Best I can figure is that Cathy Guiswaite (approx spelling) seems to have tapped into a stratum of women frozen in a horrid late-70's Feminist Hell mindset filled with psychobabblic self-analysis, sanctimonious gender politics and soul-squandering fretting about chocolate intake, dress sizes, "self esteem" and "healthy relationships." Must I say it? NOTE TO "CATHY" FANS: Get OVER it! Snap OUT of it! Get a LIFE and a CLUE! THIS STRIP IS NOT FUNNY! IT IS NOT A CLEVER COMMENTARY ON CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY! IT IS NOT A SAFE HAVEN FROM A MALE DOMINATED WORLD! YOU ARE IN A CO-DEPENDENT RELATIONSHIP WITH A PATHETIC WASTE OF INK! EVEN BARBIE HAS MORE FREAKIN' SELF-RESPECT THAN CATHY!
Feh.
That is all.
Re my ranting earlier today about the comic strip "Cathy":
"Cathy" getting married must be an indication the strip is on the ropes, circulation is dropping, and desperate measures are necessary. If the strip was a television sitcom, the main character would be getting married, having a baby, or indulging in lesbian experimentation.
Yes, and Oh, I hope the strip really is going down. More ranting evidently is called for, because someone apparently still reads the bloody thing: This goddam tripe has scraped across my soul like an iron claw on a blackboard for time out of mind. Every time I see a "Cathy" calendar, balloon, greeting card, coffee mug or other piece of cheap merchandise, I feel an overwhelming urge to rip it into little pieces, stamp on the bits, and slap silly the person who was fool enough to buy it. If there is any prospect of dragging this opus out behind the barn and putting a .45 slug in its brain, I will gladly hold the executioner's coat and hat and retrieve the spent shell casings.
Honest to God, I never understood the popularity of the strip. Best I can figure is that Cathy Guiswaite (approx spelling) seems to have tapped into a stratum of women frozen in a horrid late-70's Feminist Hell mindset filled with psychobabblic self-analysis, sanctimonious gender politics and soul-squandering fretting about chocolate intake, dress sizes, "self esteem" and "healthy relationships." Must I say it? NOTE TO "CATHY" FANS: Get OVER it! Snap OUT of it! Get a LIFE and a CLUE! THIS STRIP IS NOT FUNNY! IT IS NOT A CLEVER COMMENTARY ON CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY! IT IS NOT A SAFE HAVEN FROM A MALE DOMINATED WORLD! YOU ARE IN A CO-DEPENDENT RELATIONSHIP WITH A PATHETIC WASTE OF INK! EVEN BARBIE HAS MORE FREAKIN' SELF-RESPECT THAN CATHY!
Feh.
That is all.
Maybe I should advise him to start wearing earth tones....
Don't doubt the power of blogging!
Yesterday, I wrote the following advice for the Dean campaign:
[The link doesn't work because, well, blogger sucks.]
So what does Herr Docktor do?
This makes sense, given the position they've put themselves in. To use a sports analogy, they need the frontrunner [Kerry] and the fluffy puppy [Edwards--ie the candidate being given the crush treatment by the media---and don't cry foul, as Dean was the fluffy puppy all spring and summer] to fail in order to make the playoffs. Their destiny is not in their hands. [Insert master of your domain joke here]
Soooooooooo, what they need to do now is to go error free: let the media swarm around Kerry [did he get Botox? How's his support for the Pats going to play in Carolina next week?], let the media get out of their "win a dream date with john edwards" phase, and reemerge at the end of the month as the "new" Dean---humble-er, contrite, more polished, but still earnest and serious.
But to do that, to survive, they need to be error free: no unforced errors. NOTHING to add fuel to the fire that their guy is the original Raging Porcupine, the glass-jawed prep school bully, the George Wallace of the pierced and latte-ed set.
NOTHING.
So what do they go and do?
Same story:
That officially seals it: he truly is a clueless idiot. First of all, a meaner organization? Is he out of his freakin mind? Does that translate into Al Franken AND Jeanine Garafalo in Hells Angels jackets shoving shivs through the ribs of hecklers? Howard, you need to do everything in your power to dispel the congealing image of you as a, well, mean prick. This isn't the way to do it.
Finally some candor: you were looking ahead to the general election. Candor is good, it is part of the way to show that you have learned and grown as a candidate. But then you go and fark it up by talking about a long war of attrition! Are you completely unhinged?
That's great. Purrrrr-fect. Now you've set yourself up for the "Howard Dean getting pulled out of a spider hole" jokes. Seriously, what are they thinking?
Further bad news in the same article:
This folks is what good old Ross Perot referred to as the "giant sucking sound." I guess Howard's about to do his part to add to the jobless recovery.
Further schaudenfraude:
The end is nearer than I thought.
Don't doubt the power of blogging!
Yesterday, I wrote the following advice for the Dean campaign:
Between now and March 2, he's got one in the bag in all likelihood: Hawaii, on February 24. Before then, however, he needs to capitalize on three states: Michigan and Washington state on the seventh, and Wisconsin on the 17th. Washington and Wisconisn trend well for him demographically, and while akin in many ways to his home state are far enough west to count for winning out of his hometurf. But second place isn't going to cut it, if it's a continued second place finish to Kerry. This defies his fight in every state strategy articulated in the primal scream speech after Iowa, but it would make political sense: concede South Carolina, put all the chips on Missouri for next Tuesday, but in effect pour it all out in a blitz for Michigan and Washington on the seventh. If he can produce a big win in Washington, that can carry him alive until the 17th when the progressive left of Wisconsin votes. A victory there can keep him at least on the card for March 2. But without winning at least one on the 7th, and the 17th, I don't see how it can be done realistically.
[The link doesn't work because, well, blogger sucks.]
So what does Herr Docktor do?
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - Howard Dean will not air ads in any of the seven states holding elections next week, officials said Thursday, a risky strategy that puts him at a distinct disadvantage with high-spending rivals for the Democratic nomination.
With his money and momentum depleted, Dean decided to save his ad money for the Feb. 7 elections in Michigan and Washington state and, 10 days later, the primary in Wisconsin, said officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Dean runs the risk of falling off the political map with seven defeats Tuesday, the officials acknowledged. Dean is gambling that he can pick up delegates with second- and third-place finishes while rivals John Edwards and Wesley Clark spend themselves out of the race.
This makes sense, given the position they've put themselves in. To use a sports analogy, they need the frontrunner [Kerry] and the fluffy puppy [Edwards--ie the candidate being given the crush treatment by the media---and don't cry foul, as Dean was the fluffy puppy all spring and summer] to fail in order to make the playoffs. Their destiny is not in their hands. [Insert master of your domain joke here]
Soooooooooo, what they need to do now is to go error free: let the media swarm around Kerry [did he get Botox? How's his support for the Pats going to play in Carolina next week?], let the media get out of their "win a dream date with john edwards" phase, and reemerge at the end of the month as the "new" Dean---humble-er, contrite, more polished, but still earnest and serious.
But to do that, to survive, they need to be error free: no unforced errors. NOTHING to add fuel to the fire that their guy is the original Raging Porcupine, the glass-jawed prep school bully, the George Wallace of the pierced and latte-ed set.
NOTHING.
So what do they go and do?
Same story:
"I think you are going to see a leaner, meaner organization," Dean told reporters Wednesday night.
That officially seals it: he truly is a clueless idiot. First of all, a meaner organization? Is he out of his freakin mind? Does that translate into Al Franken AND Jeanine Garafalo in Hells Angels jackets shoving shivs through the ribs of hecklers? Howard, you need to do everything in your power to dispel the congealing image of you as a, well, mean prick. This isn't the way to do it.
"We had geared up for what we thought would be a front-runner's campaign. It's not going to be a front-runner's campaign. It's going to be a long, long war of attrition."
Finally some candor: you were looking ahead to the general election. Candor is good, it is part of the way to show that you have learned and grown as a candidate. But then you go and fark it up by talking about a long war of attrition! Are you completely unhinged?
Officials hope that Dean emerges later in February as an alternative to front-runner John Kerry and engages in "guerrilla warfare" until he wins the nomination or is mathematically eliminated.
That's great. Purrrrr-fect. Now you've set yourself up for the "Howard Dean getting pulled out of a spider hole" jokes. Seriously, what are they thinking?
Further bad news in the same article:
He replaced his campaign manager with a former Washington lobbyist and one-time top aide to Al Gore and asked his staff to defer their paychecks for two weeks to recover from costly losses in Iowa and New Hampshire.
This folks is what good old Ross Perot referred to as the "giant sucking sound." I guess Howard's about to do his part to add to the jobless recovery.
Further schaudenfraude:
Dean's backers are dubious. In a conference call with members of Congress who have endorsed him, he was told bluntly that finishing second wasn't good enough - that he had to show he could win a primary.
The end is nearer than I thought.
Flying Down To Rio
What an a**hole. Money quote: [F]light attendants had to "restrain other passengers who wanted to beat him up."
Via Drudge.
What an a**hole. Money quote: [F]light attendants had to "restrain other passengers who wanted to beat him up."
Via Drudge.
Scooped!
I was going to work up a post on the differing views of Stephen Green and James Joyner regarding what damage Dubya might be doing to his base with all of his new spending initiatives, but I see The Vodkaphile beat me to it.
Then I was going to follow on about the dangers of trying to draw too close a parallel between Dubya '04 and George Sr. '92, but Mike Potemra over at The Corner beat me to that, as well. (Scroll on down to see a lively discussion amongst the Cornerites about Dubya's latest NEA proposal and antagonizing the base.)
THEN I was just going to drop the whole thing and instead say something snarky about Pamela Anderson's, er, assets, but Fark and the Weekly World News beat me to THAT!
I was going to work up a post on the differing views of Stephen Green and James Joyner regarding what damage Dubya might be doing to his base with all of his new spending initiatives, but I see The Vodkaphile beat me to it.
Then I was going to follow on about the dangers of trying to draw too close a parallel between Dubya '04 and George Sr. '92, but Mike Potemra over at The Corner beat me to that, as well. (Scroll on down to see a lively discussion amongst the Cornerites about Dubya's latest NEA proposal and antagonizing the base.)
THEN I was just going to drop the whole thing and instead say something snarky about Pamela Anderson's, er, assets, but Fark and the Weekly World News beat me to THAT!
Amateurs
Check out this PETA rant captured by the good folks at WizBang.
Hell, the Colonel should have come to us. We'd have shown him how to do it right!
YIP! YIP! YIP!
Check out this PETA rant captured by the good folks at WizBang.
Hell, the Colonel should have come to us. We'd have shown him how to do it right!
YIP! YIP! YIP!
Wow! Must Hide Under The Covers!
Check out this vertigo-inducing tour of, well, everything. And don't tell me this all just "happened".....
HT to Glenn.
Check out this vertigo-inducing tour of, well, everything. And don't tell me this all just "happened".....
HT to Glenn.
Today's Mid-Afternoon Specials
Sorry about this morning's deliveries. Just one of those things, ya' know? And since I'm going to have to plunge back into the fray in just a bit, we're going to go ahead and combine the weightier stuff from this morning with the traditionally lighter afternoon-type items. And if it all seems just a bit disjointed, well it has nothing to do with random thoughts about lanky, husky-voiced actresses.....
(Ed. - AHEM!)
Right. Now, where were we? Ah, yes:
SHRUB WATCH: Over to the Volokh Conspirary, David Bernstein has some musings about why Dubya drives liberals crazy, noting some parallels to conservative hatred of Clinton. I've seen this sort of thing before and think there is something to it. But my own frustration with Clinton "getting away with things" was only one component of my antipathy - I thought the man was simply scum in and of himself.
BAGHDAD BLOGS: Jeff Jarvis talks about several Iraqi bloggers, including Ali, who rips Mad Howard a new one with a demand to know just how the hell Dean can claim that Iraqi standards of living have fallen as a result of the war. But you should check out the other sites as well. These are Iraqi voices, unwashed, uncensored and not filtered through the likes of the Baghdad Broadcasting Corporation or CNN.
AND SPEAKING OF BLOGGING: Small Miracle reflects on her third anniversary swimming in the ether. Much thought on the hows and whys of growing one of these babies. Congrats!
HEADS UP: Mindles H. Drek is back up and posting over at Asymmetrical Information - here's one possible cover design for my forthcoming book "Buy This Or Your Child Will Die" (c), available a) as soon as I write it and b) as soon as someone publishes it.
THE KING IS DEAD! LONG LIVE THE KING!: Gene Weingarten has a hilarious piece in the WaPo about the changing of the guard at the Weekly World News, the source of much hilarity in my college days. My roommate and I used to buy the WWN each week, cut out and rearrange the headlines and paste them on our hall door, much to the amusement of the rest of the dorm. The Butcher's Wife sometimes hears me use the expression "screaming with glee." Well, this is where that came from.
WOW, WHAT A SEGUE!: Speaking of screaming, Classical Values has a piece on Mad Howard's EEEAAGGGH! Moment. I think Eric is a bit off. Dean's eruption was most emphatically not a "Rebel Yell" as I've ever heard it - neither the contemporary Bo Duke "Yeeeeee Haaaawww" or the more traditional Indian War-Whoop that you can link to from his piece. No, upon further reflection it sounded to me more like something screeched by John Candy's Ox in the mud-wrestling scene from Stripes.
AND SPEAKING OF CANDY: Carnival of the Vanities is up over at The American Mind. Go fill yer bag with whatever you like - it's all priced by the pound.
CANDY FROM THE BEARDED-SPOCK UNIVERSE: We could hardly let things go without also mentioning this week's Bonfire of the Vanities over at Southern Musings, where evidently they are playing with matches.....
MASTERING THE UNIVERSE: Taranto has been assimilated. We are the Blorg.
Enjoy!
Sorry about this morning's deliveries. Just one of those things, ya' know? And since I'm going to have to plunge back into the fray in just a bit, we're going to go ahead and combine the weightier stuff from this morning with the traditionally lighter afternoon-type items. And if it all seems just a bit disjointed, well it has nothing to do with random thoughts about lanky, husky-voiced actresses.....
(Ed. - AHEM!)
Right. Now, where were we? Ah, yes:
SHRUB WATCH: Over to the Volokh Conspirary, David Bernstein has some musings about why Dubya drives liberals crazy, noting some parallels to conservative hatred of Clinton. I've seen this sort of thing before and think there is something to it. But my own frustration with Clinton "getting away with things" was only one component of my antipathy - I thought the man was simply scum in and of himself.
BAGHDAD BLOGS: Jeff Jarvis talks about several Iraqi bloggers, including Ali, who rips Mad Howard a new one with a demand to know just how the hell Dean can claim that Iraqi standards of living have fallen as a result of the war. But you should check out the other sites as well. These are Iraqi voices, unwashed, uncensored and not filtered through the likes of the Baghdad Broadcasting Corporation or CNN.
AND SPEAKING OF BLOGGING: Small Miracle reflects on her third anniversary swimming in the ether. Much thought on the hows and whys of growing one of these babies. Congrats!
HEADS UP: Mindles H. Drek is back up and posting over at Asymmetrical Information - here's one possible cover design for my forthcoming book "Buy This Or Your Child Will Die" (c), available a) as soon as I write it and b) as soon as someone publishes it.
THE KING IS DEAD! LONG LIVE THE KING!: Gene Weingarten has a hilarious piece in the WaPo about the changing of the guard at the Weekly World News, the source of much hilarity in my college days. My roommate and I used to buy the WWN each week, cut out and rearrange the headlines and paste them on our hall door, much to the amusement of the rest of the dorm. The Butcher's Wife sometimes hears me use the expression "screaming with glee." Well, this is where that came from.
WOW, WHAT A SEGUE!: Speaking of screaming, Classical Values has a piece on Mad Howard's EEEAAGGGH! Moment. I think Eric is a bit off. Dean's eruption was most emphatically not a "Rebel Yell" as I've ever heard it - neither the contemporary Bo Duke "Yeeeeee Haaaawww" or the more traditional Indian War-Whoop that you can link to from his piece. No, upon further reflection it sounded to me more like something screeched by John Candy's Ox in the mud-wrestling scene from Stripes.
AND SPEAKING OF CANDY: Carnival of the Vanities is up over at The American Mind. Go fill yer bag with whatever you like - it's all priced by the pound.
CANDY FROM THE BEARDED-SPOCK UNIVERSE: We could hardly let things go without also mentioning this week's Bonfire of the Vanities over at Southern Musings, where evidently they are playing with matches.....
MASTERING THE UNIVERSE: Taranto has been assimilated. We are the Blorg.
Enjoy!
Cultural Karma
While watching Armageddon for the umptienth time the other night, I got thinking to myself, "Funny, you never see Deep Impact running on any of the movie channels."
Well, this morning, my secretary, apropos of nothing, walked in and said, "We rented Deep Impact the other night. Man is that a bad movie!"
Guess that 'splains it.
I will say two words in DI's defense: Téa Leoni. Mmmmm......Téa...
(BTW, did you know Elijiah Wood was in it too? Small world. Heh.)
While watching Armageddon for the umptienth time the other night, I got thinking to myself, "Funny, you never see Deep Impact running on any of the movie channels."
Well, this morning, my secretary, apropos of nothing, walked in and said, "We rented Deep Impact the other night. Man is that a bad movie!"
Guess that 'splains it.
I will say two words in DI's defense: Téa Leoni. Mmmmm......Téa...
(BTW, did you know Elijiah Wood was in it too? Small world. Heh.)
REPENT! THE END IS FREAKIN NEAR!!!
What with the war going on about the plains of Babylon, things have been a little jittery of late for the old Apocalypse Watch. Now End Timers have this to worry about.
What with the war going on about the plains of Babylon, things have been a little jittery of late for the old Apocalypse Watch. Now End Timers have this to worry about.
Mr. Kerry? It's your turn in the barrel
There's a rather funny old-school joke with the punchline, "Umm, but Saturday's your night in the barrel." I've been amazed and amused how the phrase has crept into the regular lingo and used without any awareness that it's from a ribald oral-sex joke---I blew hot tea out my nose at a meeting last year when a senior administrator used the phrase completely innocuously.
Anyhoo, it's also an apt way to describe the shift in coverage that's going to start to occur for the Kerry campaign. He's the frontrunner, and so frontrunner hyper scrutiny begins. Is it fair? Not necessarily. Is it bias? Not in and of itself. Is it pretty to watch? Um, no, unless you are a fan of WWF Smackdown [yeah, I know, it's the WWE now because they lost that trademark suit to the World Wildlife Fund, but geez] and particularly enjoy when the villains start smacking the heroes upside the head with fake metal folding chairs.
So what's the one sentence media subtext of John Forbes Kerry? Waffler. Hamlet with a pollster. Kind of like Gertrude Stein's Oakland: no there there.
Here's an example of what's to come.
Now what must Kerry do? The key to fight this sort of stuff is not give anything new to feed it. The candidate must seize the initiative on defining the agenda of coverage to the degree that is possible: with the increased velocity of coverage this is basically akin to the act of walking into a firehose. This is where the Dean folks screwed up. It can be done, though: whether you agree with his ideology and antics, one thing you can certainly say about Bill Clinton is that he never stopped pushing forward. I remember a picture from Sports Illustrated of Larry Csonka scoring a touchdown with about six Houston Oilers hanging off him. [no the link isn't to that particular picture, but I know Robbo is a fins fan and wanted to give him something to drool over other than nekkid pics of katherine hepburn]. You've got to keep the momentum going, and you can't show signs that you are flinching. Dean did that last month when he complained to Terry McAuliffe about being picked on, and the "he's a thin-skinned angry nut" watch began soon after when he told the senior citizen to sit down and shut his pie hole. [blogger is not letting me link to our coverage then---DAMN YOU, BLOGGER! TO HELLLLLLLLLLLL!] Kerry's coverage is going to be suddenly much less rosy--but what he's got going for him is that there is a compressed time frame for stories to develop. Structured events--ie the now biweekly primaries--are going to break the line of coverage up, becoming in effect the prime story. Whereas in December and January, a prime and ready story is "the front runner stumbles" in February the prime story line is "can he be caught?" If one of the other candidates doesn't show signs of being able to do that, inevitability begins to set in. This is another place the Dean people screwed up. Remember when Gore endorsed him back in December, and they actually tolerated questions or speculations about Cabinet positions? They should have shot anyone who asked or answered those questions, and put their severed heads on pikes to frighten the villagers out of being overconfident. Now, however, the dynamic is different, which is [I bet] going to cause quite a few Deaniacs to start squawking about "unfairness" towards their candidate, which will further drive down his and their reputations as a bunch of thin-skinned glass-jawed porcupines.
Now all this analysis contains a heft dose of ceritus paribus--ie all things remaining equal. Something big from Iraq--a Beriut style attack for instance--changes the dynamics completely. But for now, the parameters of the course have been defined, and now's the time that the real race begins.
There's a rather funny old-school joke with the punchline, "Umm, but Saturday's your night in the barrel." I've been amazed and amused how the phrase has crept into the regular lingo and used without any awareness that it's from a ribald oral-sex joke---I blew hot tea out my nose at a meeting last year when a senior administrator used the phrase completely innocuously.
Anyhoo, it's also an apt way to describe the shift in coverage that's going to start to occur for the Kerry campaign. He's the frontrunner, and so frontrunner hyper scrutiny begins. Is it fair? Not necessarily. Is it bias? Not in and of itself. Is it pretty to watch? Um, no, unless you are a fan of WWF Smackdown [yeah, I know, it's the WWE now because they lost that trademark suit to the World Wildlife Fund, but geez] and particularly enjoy when the villains start smacking the heroes upside the head with fake metal folding chairs.
So what's the one sentence media subtext of John Forbes Kerry? Waffler. Hamlet with a pollster. Kind of like Gertrude Stein's Oakland: no there there.
Here's an example of what's to come.
Now what must Kerry do? The key to fight this sort of stuff is not give anything new to feed it. The candidate must seize the initiative on defining the agenda of coverage to the degree that is possible: with the increased velocity of coverage this is basically akin to the act of walking into a firehose. This is where the Dean folks screwed up. It can be done, though: whether you agree with his ideology and antics, one thing you can certainly say about Bill Clinton is that he never stopped pushing forward. I remember a picture from Sports Illustrated of Larry Csonka scoring a touchdown with about six Houston Oilers hanging off him. [no the link isn't to that particular picture, but I know Robbo is a fins fan and wanted to give him something to drool over other than nekkid pics of katherine hepburn]. You've got to keep the momentum going, and you can't show signs that you are flinching. Dean did that last month when he complained to Terry McAuliffe about being picked on, and the "he's a thin-skinned angry nut" watch began soon after when he told the senior citizen to sit down and shut his pie hole. [blogger is not letting me link to our coverage then---DAMN YOU, BLOGGER! TO HELLLLLLLLLLLL!] Kerry's coverage is going to be suddenly much less rosy--but what he's got going for him is that there is a compressed time frame for stories to develop. Structured events--ie the now biweekly primaries--are going to break the line of coverage up, becoming in effect the prime story. Whereas in December and January, a prime and ready story is "the front runner stumbles" in February the prime story line is "can he be caught?" If one of the other candidates doesn't show signs of being able to do that, inevitability begins to set in. This is another place the Dean people screwed up. Remember when Gore endorsed him back in December, and they actually tolerated questions or speculations about Cabinet positions? They should have shot anyone who asked or answered those questions, and put their severed heads on pikes to frighten the villagers out of being overconfident. Now, however, the dynamic is different, which is [I bet] going to cause quite a few Deaniacs to start squawking about "unfairness" towards their candidate, which will further drive down his and their reputations as a bunch of thin-skinned glass-jawed porcupines.
Now all this analysis contains a heft dose of ceritus paribus--ie all things remaining equal. Something big from Iraq--a Beriut style attack for instance--changes the dynamics completely. But for now, the parameters of the course have been defined, and now's the time that the real race begins.
Calling Jackie Childes
I always knew this thing was gonna hurt me!
(Llama Embargo: No smart remarks from my fellow LB, please, about wandering around DuPont Circle in spandex. Never happened. Never will. Not that there's anything wrong with that.)
I always knew this thing was gonna hurt me!
(Llama Embargo: No smart remarks from my fellow LB, please, about wandering around DuPont Circle in spandex. Never happened. Never will. Not that there's anything wrong with that.)
Speaking of Got Yer Covered....
Remember that episode of Star Trek where they investigate trouble at a Federation outpost and Spock gets thwokked in the back by a flying wash-cloth looking alien creature thing?
Well, it's back. Bigger, badder and with more discriminatin' taste in victims.....
(HT to Josh Claybourn.)
Remember that episode of Star Trek where they investigate trouble at a Federation outpost and Spock gets thwokked in the back by a flying wash-cloth looking alien creature thing?
Well, it's back. Bigger, badder and with more discriminatin' taste in victims.....
(HT to Josh Claybourn.)
It's birthday week at the Llamabutchers!
While Robbo is being showered with all sorts of booty by his dearly beloved for his birthday [let's see what google searchers find us for that one!], I made one simple request to my wife for MY birthday and all she did was laugh.
While Robbo is being showered with all sorts of booty by his dearly beloved for his birthday [let's see what google searchers find us for that one!], I made one simple request to my wife for MY birthday and all she did was laugh.
Llamabutchers: someone's slackin' 24/7 so you don't have to!
The good thing about the blogging combo of a regulatory lawyer and a professor is, well, one of us is usually goofing off online at any given point. Kate Hepburn fantasies? We got ya covered. Department of Franco Irrelevancy? Go no further. Dean meltdown watch? Been on the job since before there was a meltdown. Mockery of humanities departments? Who else would you want on the ramparts?
A tad more sober than Vodkaboy, fewer billable hours than the Volokhs, kind of like LMAO after electro-shock therapy, it's the Llamabutchers!
The good thing about the blogging combo of a regulatory lawyer and a professor is, well, one of us is usually goofing off online at any given point. Kate Hepburn fantasies? We got ya covered. Department of Franco Irrelevancy? Go no further. Dean meltdown watch? Been on the job since before there was a meltdown. Mockery of humanities departments? Who else would you want on the ramparts?
A tad more sober than Vodkaboy, fewer billable hours than the Volokhs, kind of like LMAO after electro-shock therapy, it's the Llamabutchers!
We Can't Find The Cleaver...
Today's Choice Cuts (TM) is gonna be late. No time to stroll about the 'net this morning, I'm afraid. Well, I do have to earn a living.....
In the meantime, TCM was way ahead of me last night - Kate Hepburn film festival, with African Queen and Lion In Winter back-to-back. How could I resist?
Lion In Winter is an excellent source for the Hollywood Links trivia game. This is where you try and link any two given actors by co-stars and movies in as few moves as possible, with style points going for obscure connections. So for, example, if you wanted to link, say, Colin Firth and Andi McDowell, you would say Colin Firth + Hugh Grant in Bridget Jone's Diary and Hugh Grant + Andi McDowell in Four Weddings And A Funeral. The game is akin to Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon and provides wholesome entertainment.
Aaaaanyway, as I say, Lion In Winter is a good source because it's one of those inter-generational films. Kate Hepburn and Peter O'Toole have worked with just about everyone in the industry between about 1930 and 1980. Meanwhile both Anthony Hopkins and Timothy Dalton are in this movie, giving one a bridge to the younger generations of actors. And my favorite obscure link: The character of John, Henry II's son, is played by Nigel Terry. He isn't well known in America, except that he also played Arthur in Excalibur. That movie also featured both Liam Neeson and Patrick Stewart (bald even then). So there you are. And for your next dinner party or bar bet, here is a link between Cary Grant and Will Smith:
Cary Grant + Kate Hepburn - Philadelphia Story
Kate Hepburn + Nigel Terry - Lion In Winter
Nigel Terry + Patrick Stewart- Excalibur
Patrick Stewart + Brent Spiner - Star Trek Next Generation Movies
Brent Spiner + Will Smith - Independence Day
Feel free to play amongst yourselves until I get back.....
Today's Choice Cuts (TM) is gonna be late. No time to stroll about the 'net this morning, I'm afraid. Well, I do have to earn a living.....
In the meantime, TCM was way ahead of me last night - Kate Hepburn film festival, with African Queen and Lion In Winter back-to-back. How could I resist?
Lion In Winter is an excellent source for the Hollywood Links trivia game. This is where you try and link any two given actors by co-stars and movies in as few moves as possible, with style points going for obscure connections. So for, example, if you wanted to link, say, Colin Firth and Andi McDowell, you would say Colin Firth + Hugh Grant in Bridget Jone's Diary and Hugh Grant + Andi McDowell in Four Weddings And A Funeral. The game is akin to Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon and provides wholesome entertainment.
Aaaaanyway, as I say, Lion In Winter is a good source because it's one of those inter-generational films. Kate Hepburn and Peter O'Toole have worked with just about everyone in the industry between about 1930 and 1980. Meanwhile both Anthony Hopkins and Timothy Dalton are in this movie, giving one a bridge to the younger generations of actors. And my favorite obscure link: The character of John, Henry II's son, is played by Nigel Terry. He isn't well known in America, except that he also played Arthur in Excalibur. That movie also featured both Liam Neeson and Patrick Stewart (bald even then). So there you are. And for your next dinner party or bar bet, here is a link between Cary Grant and Will Smith:
Cary Grant + Kate Hepburn - Philadelphia Story
Kate Hepburn + Nigel Terry - Lion In Winter
Nigel Terry + Patrick Stewart- Excalibur
Patrick Stewart + Brent Spiner - Star Trek Next Generation Movies
Brent Spiner + Will Smith - Independence Day
Feel free to play amongst yourselves until I get back.....
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
It's gotta be the House Republicans and Dubya's fault!
Well, at least we know they aren't spending it on defense....
Well, at least we know they aren't spending it on defense....
Was he Godzilla or Mothra?
What's a mistake? Leaving a pen in your shirt pocket when it goes through the laundry: mistake. Overdue library books? Mistake. Letting your car's inspection expire and getting a ticket? Mistake. Buying Howard Dean futures on Tradesports.com at $72 a share because the Gore endorsement meant the ticket to the nomination? Beeeeeeg mistake.
This however is not a "mistake."
What's a mistake? Leaving a pen in your shirt pocket when it goes through the laundry: mistake. Overdue library books? Mistake. Letting your car's inspection expire and getting a ticket? Mistake. Buying Howard Dean futures on Tradesports.com at $72 a share because the Gore endorsement meant the ticket to the nomination? Beeeeeeg mistake.
This however is not a "mistake."
More crushing of dissent in Howard Dean's Amerika
More sad details about how the PATRIOT ACT destroys first amendment rights in Vermont.
More sad details about how the PATRIOT ACT destroys first amendment rights in Vermont.
Aaaaah...Getting On Towards Time For Omelet-Head (TM)
I've been thrashing about with state corporations statutes all day - a bit out of the ordinary in my comfy little regulatory world. Headache making. And I just learned my usual Wednesday evening church meeting got cancelled. Hmmmm. What to do? What to do? The Butcher's Wife gave me three Kate Hepburn tapes for m' birthday - Adam's Rib, Woman of the Year and Philadelphia Story. IMHO, she was (and is) the Grand Goddess of the Screen. I've seen all of these flicks a zillion times, but not recently, so perhaps it's time for another round.
On the other hand, those fiends at FX, AMC or one of the other movie channels might zing me again. On that front, it looks like I'm going to have to add Armageddon to the list of Movies I Have To Watch Just Because They're On, because it happened again the other night. I'm thinking of compiling a list: Movies That Guys Have To Watch. Feel free to forward suggestions.
Oh, completely random thing (speaking of guys), but I finally realized just the other day that the prescription drug commercial featuring the guy throwing the football through the tire swing is actually flogging, er, male performance enhancers. Ooooooooh. Well, how the hell was I supposed to know that? Nothing in the voice-over gives it away. It's all just the usual FDA-speak: "This will make your life better! (Unless it gives you dry mouth, sweats, hypertension, lassitude, nausea, diarrhea, sleeplessness, drowsiness, "certain sexual side effects" [whatever the hell those are], cancer, heart-attack, blindness and gangrene.)" BTW, zap on over to Liberty Bob's take on the agonies of Reptile Dysfunction. Heh.
Other completely random thought - according to the site meter, we're having a very good day. Don't know why Wednesdays are like that, but it seems to be the case. Thanks very much for taking time to stop in our little shop. Be sure to come back often. And bring your friends. We'll treat them right.
YIP! YIP! YIP!
YIPS from Steve--Omelet Head? Wasn't he one of Aquaman's lesser known nemesis? And let's see, grayish jocky-guy throwing balls through the tire in the backyard, then getting tackled by his young and nubile wife.....hmmm, what are they selling?
I've been thrashing about with state corporations statutes all day - a bit out of the ordinary in my comfy little regulatory world. Headache making. And I just learned my usual Wednesday evening church meeting got cancelled. Hmmmm. What to do? What to do? The Butcher's Wife gave me three Kate Hepburn tapes for m' birthday - Adam's Rib, Woman of the Year and Philadelphia Story. IMHO, she was (and is) the Grand Goddess of the Screen. I've seen all of these flicks a zillion times, but not recently, so perhaps it's time for another round.
On the other hand, those fiends at FX, AMC or one of the other movie channels might zing me again. On that front, it looks like I'm going to have to add Armageddon to the list of Movies I Have To Watch Just Because They're On, because it happened again the other night. I'm thinking of compiling a list: Movies That Guys Have To Watch. Feel free to forward suggestions.
Oh, completely random thing (speaking of guys), but I finally realized just the other day that the prescription drug commercial featuring the guy throwing the football through the tire swing is actually flogging, er, male performance enhancers. Ooooooooh. Well, how the hell was I supposed to know that? Nothing in the voice-over gives it away. It's all just the usual FDA-speak: "This will make your life better! (Unless it gives you dry mouth, sweats, hypertension, lassitude, nausea, diarrhea, sleeplessness, drowsiness, "certain sexual side effects" [whatever the hell those are], cancer, heart-attack, blindness and gangrene.)" BTW, zap on over to Liberty Bob's take on the agonies of Reptile Dysfunction. Heh.
Other completely random thought - according to the site meter, we're having a very good day. Don't know why Wednesdays are like that, but it seems to be the case. Thanks very much for taking time to stop in our little shop. Be sure to come back often. And bring your friends. We'll treat them right.
YIP! YIP! YIP!
YIPS from Steve--Omelet Head? Wasn't he one of Aquaman's lesser known nemesis? And let's see, grayish jocky-guy throwing balls through the tire in the backyard, then getting tackled by his young and nubile wife.....hmmm, what are they selling?
Today's After 3:00 PM Half-Price Specials
Boy, and it's a festival di snark today! Dig in!
THE BEEB CRATERS: Fall-out from the release of Lord Hutton's report exonerating the Blair Government and blasting the BBC for sexing up its reports that HMG, er, sexed up its reports regarding intelligence estimates of Saddam's WMD program. Glenn has the round up. All I can say is Wow.
EET EES ALL ABOUT ZEE OOOOIIIILLL!!!: Meanwhile, Tim Blair and Vodka Boy, amongst others are following Iraqi allegations that Saddam paid off certain cheese-eating surrender monkeys to stall the U.S. as much as possible before the war. But wait! Why should this be? He had nothing to hide, right? Right? Because we all know that BUSH LIED!!!!!
SPEAKING OF WHICH: James Joyner links to a WaPo op-ed by Peter Feaver regarding the recent David Kay eruption. OpinionJournal also carries today's WSJ editorial on the matter (registration required). Even the WaPo's news coverage of Kay's testimony before the Senate today does not smack of a witch-hunt. I dunno. If I were Kerry et al, I'd start thinking twice about calling Bush a liar. That one may come back to bite the moonbats in the ass.
Ready for something less heavy?
ANYBODY BUT N.E. BANDWAGON: The BitchGirls join me in my damnation of the Patriots.
HEH, D'OH!!: Amish Tech Support bitch-slaps Glenn! Insta - this!
MAD HOWARD's WORLD: Rosemary at Dean's World bitch-slaps the Doc. (I just like saying that!)
G-FILE SIGHTING!: Jonah weighs in on independents and undecideds. Money quote: If you really are undecided between having a bowl of strawberry ice cream and being smacked in the forehead with a garden rake, you're not very intelligent; you're just very, very stoopid. No, that's just the funniest line. To be fair, as always there is a lot of thoughtfulness behind his smart ass. And coincidentally enough, a good bit of what he has to say about partisanship supports my position re Andy Sullivan's doom and gloom prognostications for Dubya.
YIP! YIP! YIP! TIME: I notice we have made TexasBestGrok's list of sites he likes. Thanks, John! (We don't have all that fancy-shmancy blogroller and technorati crap, so if anyone else out there has enrolled us, let us know so we can return the favor.)
LOCUTUS TIME: Taranto has been assimilated. We are the Blorg.
Boy, and it's a festival di snark today! Dig in!
THE BEEB CRATERS: Fall-out from the release of Lord Hutton's report exonerating the Blair Government and blasting the BBC for sexing up its reports that HMG, er, sexed up its reports regarding intelligence estimates of Saddam's WMD program. Glenn has the round up. All I can say is Wow.
EET EES ALL ABOUT ZEE OOOOIIIILLL!!!: Meanwhile, Tim Blair and Vodka Boy, amongst others are following Iraqi allegations that Saddam paid off certain cheese-eating surrender monkeys to stall the U.S. as much as possible before the war. But wait! Why should this be? He had nothing to hide, right? Right? Because we all know that BUSH LIED!!!!!
SPEAKING OF WHICH: James Joyner links to a WaPo op-ed by Peter Feaver regarding the recent David Kay eruption. OpinionJournal also carries today's WSJ editorial on the matter (registration required). Even the WaPo's news coverage of Kay's testimony before the Senate today does not smack of a witch-hunt. I dunno. If I were Kerry et al, I'd start thinking twice about calling Bush a liar. That one may come back to bite the moonbats in the ass.
Ready for something less heavy?
ANYBODY BUT N.E. BANDWAGON: The BitchGirls join me in my damnation of the Patriots.
HEH, D'OH!!: Amish Tech Support bitch-slaps Glenn! Insta - this!
MAD HOWARD's WORLD: Rosemary at Dean's World bitch-slaps the Doc. (I just like saying that!)
G-FILE SIGHTING!: Jonah weighs in on independents and undecideds. Money quote: If you really are undecided between having a bowl of strawberry ice cream and being smacked in the forehead with a garden rake, you're not very intelligent; you're just very, very stoopid. No, that's just the funniest line. To be fair, as always there is a lot of thoughtfulness behind his smart ass. And coincidentally enough, a good bit of what he has to say about partisanship supports my position re Andy Sullivan's doom and gloom prognostications for Dubya.
YIP! YIP! YIP! TIME: I notice we have made TexasBestGrok's list of sites he likes. Thanks, John! (We don't have all that fancy-shmancy blogroller and technorati crap, so if anyone else out there has enrolled us, let us know so we can return the favor.)
LOCUTUS TIME: Taranto has been assimilated. We are the Blorg.
It's so unfair! It's gotta be a conspiracy!
As we've been flog-blogging since before Christmas, presidential selection politics follows some pretty basic rules that aren't really that complicated. If you are good and smart, you can grasp this. However, good and smart aren't defined in a grad-school or salon sort of way. Rather, it's much more of a basic street wisdom. You can be very polished and have it--JFK and Bill Clinton did. Or, you can be rougher around the edges [like Dubya] or not perceived as being very erudite [the Gipper] but still have it too. And it's something that the Adlai Stevensons and Al Gores of the world could give graduate seminar upon dissertation about, but still not grasp. It's really not that complicated.
So if my guy cratered, maybe it's because he screwed up royally. Or, maybe because it's a CONSPIRACY against him!
From TomPaine.com:
He gets it right about how stories develop, but instead of accepting the reality of it and using it to your advantage, he rails against the inherent injustice of it all. I wuz robbed! I coulda been a contender!
Yes it was. And who was to blame for it? Look no further than the doctor's own mirror. They had the advantage--money, polls, buzz--and they got sloppy, they lost their focus, they looked ahead to the general election, and they took their lead for granted.
It's not complicated, really. Read this, this, and this [for laughs], and you've got everything to explain what went wrong for the good doctor.
Basically, if you can't survived being mugged by the media in Iowa and New Hampshire, how are you going to handle the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune that descend upon one who is the President of the United States of America? This aint junior league soccer. Are you going to complain to Koffi Annan that foreign leaders are being "unfair"?
As we've been flog-blogging since before Christmas, presidential selection politics follows some pretty basic rules that aren't really that complicated. If you are good and smart, you can grasp this. However, good and smart aren't defined in a grad-school or salon sort of way. Rather, it's much more of a basic street wisdom. You can be very polished and have it--JFK and Bill Clinton did. Or, you can be rougher around the edges [like Dubya] or not perceived as being very erudite [the Gipper] but still have it too. And it's something that the Adlai Stevensons and Al Gores of the world could give graduate seminar upon dissertation about, but still not grasp. It's really not that complicated.
So if my guy cratered, maybe it's because he screwed up royally. Or, maybe because it's a CONSPIRACY against him!
From TomPaine.com:
But once something like this "meltdown" story gets started, the media go into a kind of inexorable black hole, and the pull is so great it becomes hard for thinking journalists and editors to resist. And not just journalists. It takes extraordinary mettle for anyone in the limelight to resist this. Once the howl of the pack gets loud enough, questioning the seriousness of Dean's so-called 'problems' becomes tantamount to downplaying allegations against Michael Jackson.
Sometimes it's hard to remember, but presidents aren't primarily dinner party hosts or recruiting posters for perfection. They're supposed to be smart people who can make intelligent choices, mostly in private, that serve our interests. And they're supposed to be human.
Ed Muskie probably wouldn't have been a bad president, nor would George Romney or John McCain, all of whom got slammed for showing quintessentially human traits on the campaign trail. Muskie didn't like his wife being attacked; Romney admitted to having been "brainwashed" on Vietnam (obviously less so than those fellow GOPsters who couldn't admit their mistakes), and McCain was charmingly blunt if occasionally brutish. As each could attest, candor isn't a priority in this society. People want to hear what makes them feel good and safe and strong, no matter the reality.
As for Dean, one doesn't need to take sides to see that the treatment of this man is unbecoming of the media. It's also going to be seen in retrospect as colossally one-sided, not in any way balanced by comparable scrutiny or criticism of his rivals.
He gets it right about how stories develop, but instead of accepting the reality of it and using it to your advantage, he rails against the inherent injustice of it all. I wuz robbed! I coulda been a contender!
From Slate magazine ("Mean Dean Loses Steam") to The New York Post ("Dean's Ballot-Box Conspiracy Theory"), it's all about painting him as unseemly, unstable and irrationally angry, rather than focusing on his ideas. And yet, carefully scrutinized, virtually everything the man has said accords with the beliefs and understanding of a significant portion of the American populace, and, significantly, of what has been reported in the media.
Yes it was. And who was to blame for it? Look no further than the doctor's own mirror. They had the advantage--money, polls, buzz--and they got sloppy, they lost their focus, they looked ahead to the general election, and they took their lead for granted.
It's not complicated, really. Read this, this, and this [for laughs], and you've got everything to explain what went wrong for the good doctor.
Basically, if you can't survived being mugged by the media in Iowa and New Hampshire, how are you going to handle the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune that descend upon one who is the President of the United States of America? This aint junior league soccer. Are you going to complain to Koffi Annan that foreign leaders are being "unfair"?
An interesting take on the road from New Hampshire
Doug Ireland in TomPaine.com slices and dices the results from yesterday's primary and finds that Dean got crushed by union and religious voters. Given that Michigan is one of the states he's going to need to do well in before the big enchilada on March 2, this is not good news for the Deaniacs:
His mixed messages on religion, Osama and Saddam are going to hurt him with these constituencies.
Doug Ireland in TomPaine.com slices and dices the results from yesterday's primary and finds that Dean got crushed by union and religious voters. Given that Michigan is one of the states he's going to need to do well in before the big enchilada on March 2, this is not good news for the Deaniacs:
As the exit polls show, Kerry aced Dean in all demographic categories. Particularly significant for the Dean camp as they head to even less hospitable territory: the doctor was rejected by union households by significant margins. The religious said an even larger No to Dean: not simply Kerry’s fellow Catholics consigned Dean to the political cemetery (by a whopping 47 for Kerry to 19 for Dean), so too did Protestants (37-25). And there was a significant gender gap in Kerry’s favor among women.
These numbers spell the end for Dean, since it is not until he gets to Feb. 7 and Michigan—which has been voting by Internet since the beginning of the year, when Dean’s popularity was at its peak—that Dean might have hopes for a last stand. And Michigan, with its female governor and its legions of aging industrial union members, is stuffed with Catholics and evangelical Protestants who carry union cards. Whatever small cushion Dean might have from the early voting there won’t be enough to overwhelm the Kerry demographics.
Now Dean heads to the visible primaries in South Carolina—where half the voters will be African American—and Missouri, also home to a weighty number of black voters. In these states, Dean will be hobbled by his earlier declarations about wanting to be the candidate of folks with Confederate flags on their pickups—a turn-off for black voters, and a gaffe of which Al Sharpton is there to remind them (as he’s been doing in his extensive South Carolina campaigning in black churches for weeks). Dean is now on a slippery slope downward, and there is no state voting next week on Feb. 3 in which he can hope to find a handhold by which to brake his fall and haul himself back up.
His mixed messages on religion, Osama and Saddam are going to hurt him with these constituencies.
Science goes woof
Dingo discovers basis for life on Mars, from the pages of the Sydney Morning Herald.
Dingo discovers basis for life on Mars, from the pages of the Sydney Morning Herald.
My country for a DSL line!
Howard Dean finds who is to blame for getting his Dukakis kicked in New Hampshire.
Tomorrow's news today
The Straights Times is reporting a rebellion breaking out in a remote Saudi province that's the ancestral home of the al-Sudiary branch of the royal family.
Could be nothing....but then again could be tied to this somehow.
HT to Glenn.
The Straights Times is reporting a rebellion breaking out in a remote Saudi province that's the ancestral home of the al-Sudiary branch of the royal family.
Could be nothing....but then again could be tied to this somehow.
HT to Glenn.
From The Mailbag
A minor disagreement on your comments re [Mozart's] Prague [Symphony, No. 38] in LLamaButchers.
Technically, the symphony cannot be classified as the
apex of the classical symphony. Although the first
movement is nearly perfect (as perfect as art can be),
the work lacks a third movement, characteristic of
German/Austrian writing. No one knows why. It
certainly was not for lack of time, considering that he
wrote #36 in FOUR days WITH a third movement. Some
musicologists think that it was because the Bohemians
(and Italians) were used to hearing three-movement
symphonies from their native composers and Mozart
wanted to "fit in." Too bad because I think it lacks
something without it.
For a teaser, how many "mature" symphonies of
Mozart lack a third movement?
Technically, this is true, however it doesn't change my opinion. I have always considered the third movement of the four-movement classical symphony to be its weakest point, too often tailing off into something like Haydn's infamous "barnyard minuets." Of course, Mozart never descends to that level (at least in his mature works, by which I assume my correspondent means Symphony No. 34 and later), but I still find myself rolling my eyes and feeling restless through these movements. So the fact that the Prague doesn't have one does not detract from the work's outstanding quality, IMHO. (P'raps this is because I was trained as a pianist - the three movement form is much, much more prevalent in the solo keyboard work of Haydn and Mozart, as well as their piano concerti. In fact, off the top of my head, I can't think of any exceptions. On the other hand, Beethoven introduced scherzo/trio third movements into some of his earlier keyboard pieces (Opus 2 Nos. 2 and 3) that I quite like.)
YIPS from Steve: Yeah, but could he write anything like this?
A minor disagreement on your comments re [Mozart's] Prague [Symphony, No. 38] in LLamaButchers.
Technically, the symphony cannot be classified as the
apex of the classical symphony. Although the first
movement is nearly perfect (as perfect as art can be),
the work lacks a third movement, characteristic of
German/Austrian writing. No one knows why. It
certainly was not for lack of time, considering that he
wrote #36 in FOUR days WITH a third movement. Some
musicologists think that it was because the Bohemians
(and Italians) were used to hearing three-movement
symphonies from their native composers and Mozart
wanted to "fit in." Too bad because I think it lacks
something without it.
For a teaser, how many "mature" symphonies of
Mozart lack a third movement?
Technically, this is true, however it doesn't change my opinion. I have always considered the third movement of the four-movement classical symphony to be its weakest point, too often tailing off into something like Haydn's infamous "barnyard minuets." Of course, Mozart never descends to that level (at least in his mature works, by which I assume my correspondent means Symphony No. 34 and later), but I still find myself rolling my eyes and feeling restless through these movements. So the fact that the Prague doesn't have one does not detract from the work's outstanding quality, IMHO. (P'raps this is because I was trained as a pianist - the three movement form is much, much more prevalent in the solo keyboard work of Haydn and Mozart, as well as their piano concerti. In fact, off the top of my head, I can't think of any exceptions. On the other hand, Beethoven introduced scherzo/trio third movements into some of his earlier keyboard pieces (Opus 2 Nos. 2 and 3) that I quite like.)
YIPS from Steve: Yeah, but could he write anything like this?
Sullivan Hissy-Fit Watch
Andrew weighs in with a group of entries this morning that fit an on-going trend I've seen in his views: Bush Is In Trouble! But what a bunch of Loser Dems!
My working theory about this is that Sullivan is still so consumed by the whole gay-marriage issue and the lack of White House support that he is letting it cloud his judgment of Dubya. (I'm not the only one who has noticed this.) I really think Andrew is an intelligent guy who says many wise things, but I wonder whether he's seeing too much red to be objective about Bush at the moment.
Sure, there's plenty of in-fighting and fracture in the GOP over a host of issues: the budget, immigration, Big Government conservatism, and so on. This is, in fact, a good thing, and Dubya seems to be pulling back from some of his earlier positions re spending and the like. But does Andrew really think that, come this fall, the base is going to sit on its hands (or even go for a Perot-like 3rd Party guy) and allow someone like Kerry or Dean to win? I rather doubt it. Maybe in some times past (read pre-9/11), but there's just too damn much at stake this year for that kind of thing.
Look, the reason we see a fired up Dem base right now is that they're in the middle of a very sharply contested primary season, a battle, as Andrew and others put it, for the soul of the Democratic Party. Nothing incites passion like Civil War. But for all that fire, there sure seem to be an awful lot of doubts floating around as well.
On the other hand, Dubya is running unopposed for the nomination. So where is the focal point for any GOP passion? We're pretty much confined to sitting on the side-lines, sniping at the Dems and at each other. That'll change later on. Is Bush beatable? Sure. Anyone is. Is Bush wrapped in a Cheney/Rove cocoon, oblivious to the Presidency crashing down around him. G'wan, geddoutahere!
Andrew weighs in with a group of entries this morning that fit an on-going trend I've seen in his views: Bush Is In Trouble! But what a bunch of Loser Dems!
My working theory about this is that Sullivan is still so consumed by the whole gay-marriage issue and the lack of White House support that he is letting it cloud his judgment of Dubya. (I'm not the only one who has noticed this.) I really think Andrew is an intelligent guy who says many wise things, but I wonder whether he's seeing too much red to be objective about Bush at the moment.
Sure, there's plenty of in-fighting and fracture in the GOP over a host of issues: the budget, immigration, Big Government conservatism, and so on. This is, in fact, a good thing, and Dubya seems to be pulling back from some of his earlier positions re spending and the like. But does Andrew really think that, come this fall, the base is going to sit on its hands (or even go for a Perot-like 3rd Party guy) and allow someone like Kerry or Dean to win? I rather doubt it. Maybe in some times past (read pre-9/11), but there's just too damn much at stake this year for that kind of thing.
Look, the reason we see a fired up Dem base right now is that they're in the middle of a very sharply contested primary season, a battle, as Andrew and others put it, for the soul of the Democratic Party. Nothing incites passion like Civil War. But for all that fire, there sure seem to be an awful lot of doubts floating around as well.
On the other hand, Dubya is running unopposed for the nomination. So where is the focal point for any GOP passion? We're pretty much confined to sitting on the side-lines, sniping at the Dems and at each other. That'll change later on. Is Bush beatable? Sure. Anyone is. Is Bush wrapped in a Cheney/Rove cocoon, oblivious to the Presidency crashing down around him. G'wan, geddoutahere!
Our man on the scene
Josh Marshall reports in from Dean HQ last night with some interesting observations about what's next for the good doctor.
Key quote:
When it was over, the reporter standing next to me, turned and said: "If he would have given this speech last week, this would be a very different story."
Yep.
It's not that last week's concession speech by Dean will go down in the history of American political oratorical boners, along with "Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion"--in all likelihood, it will be forgotten or footnoted in a dissertation twenty years hence. Still its a great example of how the type of action that can define media coverage in such a way that can wreck a candidacy, or at least wreak havoc with its ability to get its message out. And that's a lesson that was repeatedly lost on the Dean camp since right before Christmas.
Josh Marshall reports in from Dean HQ last night with some interesting observations about what's next for the good doctor.
Key quote:
When it was over, the reporter standing next to me, turned and said: "If he would have given this speech last week, this would be a very different story."
Yep.
It's not that last week's concession speech by Dean will go down in the history of American political oratorical boners, along with "Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion"--in all likelihood, it will be forgotten or footnoted in a dissertation twenty years hence. Still its a great example of how the type of action that can define media coverage in such a way that can wreck a candidacy, or at least wreak havoc with its ability to get its message out. And that's a lesson that was repeatedly lost on the Dean camp since right before Christmas.
Let the turkey shoot begin!
Yes, that's really the headline Mickey Kaus leads with this morning re the new coverage to come for John Kerry. An amusing read as always, although Mickey does have the record of putting his mojo out for Kerry's coifed scalp.
Yes, that's really the headline Mickey Kaus leads with this morning re the new coverage to come for John Kerry. An amusing read as always, although Mickey does have the record of putting his mojo out for Kerry's coifed scalp.
Now that I'm actually awake....
let me make a revised strategic scenario for Howard Dean. Between now and March 2, he's got one in the bag in all likelihood: Hawaii, on February 24. Before then, however, he needs to capitalize on three states: Michigan and Washington state on the seventh, and Wisconsin on the 17th. Washington and Wisconisn trend well for him demographically, and while akin in many ways to his home state are far enough west to count for winning out of his hometurf. But second place isn't going to cut it, if it's a continued second place finish to Kerry. This defies his fight in every state strategy articulated in the primal scream speech after Iowa, but it would make political sense: concede South Carolina, put all the chips on Missouri for next Tuesday, but in effect pour it all out in a blitz for Michigan and Washington on the seventh. If he can produce a big win in Washington, that can carry him alive until the 17th when the progressive left of Wisconsin votes. A victory there can keep him at least on the card for March 2. But without winning at least one on the 7th, and the 17th, I don't see how it can be done realistically.
let me make a revised strategic scenario for Howard Dean. Between now and March 2, he's got one in the bag in all likelihood: Hawaii, on February 24. Before then, however, he needs to capitalize on three states: Michigan and Washington state on the seventh, and Wisconsin on the 17th. Washington and Wisconisn trend well for him demographically, and while akin in many ways to his home state are far enough west to count for winning out of his hometurf. But second place isn't going to cut it, if it's a continued second place finish to Kerry. This defies his fight in every state strategy articulated in the primal scream speech after Iowa, but it would make political sense: concede South Carolina, put all the chips on Missouri for next Tuesday, but in effect pour it all out in a blitz for Michigan and Washington on the seventh. If he can produce a big win in Washington, that can carry him alive until the 17th when the progressive left of Wisconsin votes. A victory there can keep him at least on the card for March 2. But without winning at least one on the 7th, and the 17th, I don't see how it can be done realistically.
Today's Choice Cuts
WMD AND GBW: Jonah has evidently been reading this blog, because he makes exactly the same point I have been about how the White House needs to deal with the WMD issue.
THK AND HRCR: Meanwhile, Michell Malkin has an interesting portrait of the potential next First Lady that makes Hillary Clinton look almost respectable in comparison.
YEEEAGGGH!: My inestimable fellow-LB Steve has already blanketed our site with a crack analysis of the Dem primaries to date, so I won't say anything else at this point. However, Glenn has a big round-up of what other punditistas are saying. Take your pick.
SERIOUS: A horrifying account of the final moments of the Columbia. Thank heavens I'm not scheduled to fly anywhere any time soon. (HT to Stephen.)
COMIC RELIEF: Obviously, Frank J. and I were watching the same movie last night. He goes into great detail about why, under the Pistachio Model of Marginal Taxation, the person sitting next to you on the sofa is not your wife.
BACK TO THE WAR: Hate to begin and end on the same topic, but big, huge news for our man Tony Blair regarding the charges that HM Government "sexed up" reports re Iraqi WMD and the suicide death of David Kelly. OxBlog has it covered.
WMD AND GBW: Jonah has evidently been reading this blog, because he makes exactly the same point I have been about how the White House needs to deal with the WMD issue.
THK AND HRCR: Meanwhile, Michell Malkin has an interesting portrait of the potential next First Lady that makes Hillary Clinton look almost respectable in comparison.
YEEEAGGGH!: My inestimable fellow-LB Steve has already blanketed our site with a crack analysis of the Dem primaries to date, so I won't say anything else at this point. However, Glenn has a big round-up of what other punditistas are saying. Take your pick.
SERIOUS: A horrifying account of the final moments of the Columbia. Thank heavens I'm not scheduled to fly anywhere any time soon. (HT to Stephen.)
COMIC RELIEF: Obviously, Frank J. and I were watching the same movie last night. He goes into great detail about why, under the Pistachio Model of Marginal Taxation, the person sitting next to you on the sofa is not your wife.
BACK TO THE WAR: Hate to begin and end on the same topic, but big, huge news for our man Tony Blair regarding the charges that HM Government "sexed up" reports re Iraqi WMD and the suicide death of David Kelly. OxBlog has it covered.
Random Thoughts
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you my first recorded foray into the Dismal Science since my junior year in college. Here for your pleasure is what I like to call the Pistachio Model of Marginal Taxation.
This idea came to me as I sat with a bowl full of pistachios watching For Your Eyes Only for the umptienth time. I love the things. I love fishing through the bowl looking for that next unshelled nut. (I have another theory that the number of pistachios in a bowl can be represented as an integer, n + 1, where n= the number of nuts it appears are left. There is always one more than you think. You just can't find it amidst the empty shells.)
Anyway, as I hunted unshelled nuts, it occurred to me that this was a useful way to think about taxation. Let's say you've got yer bowl of pistachios and you have just started diligently consuming them. Let's also say that someone (not your spouse*) is sitting with you. You agree to give that person every other nut. As long as they are easy to find, this is not a problem. But eventually, it's going to get more difficult to find unshelled pistachios amidst the empties. You want to work harder and harder. But the knowledge that having every other nut confiscated puts a drag on your efforts. You soon reach a point where it just isn't worth it. Seeing this, your companion says "Alright, how 'bout you just give me every third nut." Suddenly, your yield is doubled. Woo! Hoo! Incentive is reestablished, and you go back to work industriously shifting through the debris. However, not only do you benefit (through getting to keep more nuts), your companion does also (because you haven't given up searching and are still finding new ones.)
Now all of this points to a basic law of taxation that is rigidly ignored (and, in fact, often denied) by a great many people, namely, that changes in tax policy have a direct impact on tax-payer behavior. Increase the incentive to work for that extra dollar on the margin, and people will do so. Decrease the incentive and people will say screw it. The other side of this coin is that greater incentive also increases tax revenue. In my example, the companion keeps getting additional nuts because I keep working for them longer. This works on a macroeconomic scale as well. Pro-growth tax policies encourage, well, growth, both in the base of folks paying taxes and in the net tax yield from individual payers. (This is true. The Wall Street Journal frequently runs a graph of tax revenues during the Reagan years. After an initial adjustment following his tax cuts, government revenues increased substantially. The trouble was that government spending increased much, much faster.)
All this leads me to the bashing of Dubya's tax cuts. The Dems are shouting to the rafters that these cuts are leading to huge budget deficits. This is, to use a scientific term, bunk. To the extent deficits are being run up, they are the result of ballooning government spending. But since the entire Democratic Party governing strategy is to buy off various interest groups, ain't no way in hell the Dems can credibly attack Bush on this. So they have to drop back to soak-the-rich tax demagoguery. In a rising economy, in which more people feel a greater entitlement to their own bowls of pistachios, I'm not sure that this strategy is going to help them very much.
So, message to Dems - Keep your hands off my nuts!
(* Can't use the spouse in this model, because of course I'd give her anything she wanted. Think she'll buy that? Ed. - Nah.)
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you my first recorded foray into the Dismal Science since my junior year in college. Here for your pleasure is what I like to call the Pistachio Model of Marginal Taxation.
This idea came to me as I sat with a bowl full of pistachios watching For Your Eyes Only for the umptienth time. I love the things. I love fishing through the bowl looking for that next unshelled nut. (I have another theory that the number of pistachios in a bowl can be represented as an integer, n + 1, where n= the number of nuts it appears are left. There is always one more than you think. You just can't find it amidst the empty shells.)
Anyway, as I hunted unshelled nuts, it occurred to me that this was a useful way to think about taxation. Let's say you've got yer bowl of pistachios and you have just started diligently consuming them. Let's also say that someone (not your spouse*) is sitting with you. You agree to give that person every other nut. As long as they are easy to find, this is not a problem. But eventually, it's going to get more difficult to find unshelled pistachios amidst the empties. You want to work harder and harder. But the knowledge that having every other nut confiscated puts a drag on your efforts. You soon reach a point where it just isn't worth it. Seeing this, your companion says "Alright, how 'bout you just give me every third nut." Suddenly, your yield is doubled. Woo! Hoo! Incentive is reestablished, and you go back to work industriously shifting through the debris. However, not only do you benefit (through getting to keep more nuts), your companion does also (because you haven't given up searching and are still finding new ones.)
Now all of this points to a basic law of taxation that is rigidly ignored (and, in fact, often denied) by a great many people, namely, that changes in tax policy have a direct impact on tax-payer behavior. Increase the incentive to work for that extra dollar on the margin, and people will do so. Decrease the incentive and people will say screw it. The other side of this coin is that greater incentive also increases tax revenue. In my example, the companion keeps getting additional nuts because I keep working for them longer. This works on a macroeconomic scale as well. Pro-growth tax policies encourage, well, growth, both in the base of folks paying taxes and in the net tax yield from individual payers. (This is true. The Wall Street Journal frequently runs a graph of tax revenues during the Reagan years. After an initial adjustment following his tax cuts, government revenues increased substantially. The trouble was that government spending increased much, much faster.)
All this leads me to the bashing of Dubya's tax cuts. The Dems are shouting to the rafters that these cuts are leading to huge budget deficits. This is, to use a scientific term, bunk. To the extent deficits are being run up, they are the result of ballooning government spending. But since the entire Democratic Party governing strategy is to buy off various interest groups, ain't no way in hell the Dems can credibly attack Bush on this. So they have to drop back to soak-the-rich tax demagoguery. In a rising economy, in which more people feel a greater entitlement to their own bowls of pistachios, I'm not sure that this strategy is going to help them very much.
So, message to Dems - Keep your hands off my nuts!
(* Can't use the spouse in this model, because of course I'd give her anything she wanted. Think she'll buy that? Ed. - Nah.)
Don't click on the link while drinking a hot beverage
or you might spray it out your nose all over the screen.
Remember the Republicans for Dean website? Take a gander at this.
or you might spray it out your nose all over the screen.
Remember the Republicans for Dean website? Take a gander at this.
That durn corporate Amerikan conservative media's piling on the Democrats again!
This time, it's Garry Trudeau making fun of John Kerry.
Of course, it was thirty three years ago....
This time, it's Garry Trudeau making fun of John Kerry.
Of course, it was thirty three years ago....
Big picture thoughts
Jack Balkin has a nifty essay on the meaning blogs in political life that's worth taking a gander at over a hot beverage.
[HT to Phil Carter]
Jack Balkin has a nifty essay on the meaning blogs in political life that's worth taking a gander at over a hot beverage.
[HT to Phil Carter]
Up before the sun with the Llamabutchers
I just finished doing a radio bit for the local AM talk show. It's a fun group--on the spectrum between Morning Edition and Don & Mike they fall on the side of seeing the humor in things.
Looking around getting ready for the show, I noticed that VodkaPundit has the bumper sticker motto for the Kerry/Edwards ticket.
I just finished doing a radio bit for the local AM talk show. It's a fun group--on the spectrum between Morning Edition and Don & Mike they fall on the side of seeing the humor in things.
Looking around getting ready for the show, I noticed that VodkaPundit has the bumper sticker motto for the Kerry/Edwards ticket.
Nature Strikes Back!
Apparently, other parts of the animal kingdom have become emboldned by last month's sucessful attack on a mountain biker by a mountain lion.
Me, I'm going to make sure to have a big glass of milk for breakfast, along with some breakfast meat and cheese, just to show them who is boss[ie]!
Apparently, other parts of the animal kingdom have become emboldned by last month's sucessful attack on a mountain biker by a mountain lion.
Me, I'm going to make sure to have a big glass of milk for breakfast, along with some breakfast meat and cheese, just to show them who is boss[ie]!
Everyone remain calm!
Remember the scene in Animal House where Kevin Bacon, trying to control the crowd, gets run over by a marching band?
Ladies and Gentlemen, the wisdom that is the Democratic Underground.
Remember the scene in Animal House where Kevin Bacon, trying to control the crowd, gets run over by a marching band?
Ladies and Gentlemen, the wisdom that is the Democratic Underground.
The Zoo Hits the Road
The New Hampshire/Iowa portion of the presidential is now finally over.
I must confess I hate this part of the presidential election cycle. Perhaps hate is too strong a word, yet if you were going to pick two states to have the closest scrutiny in starting the process of picking a president, it sure as heck wouldn't be these two. The problem is besides their idiosyncrasies that they have come to relish too keenly their being catered to. Why should the Concord Monitor have such weight in the process of picking the leader of the free world? Then again, we owe the folks at the Concord Monitor thanks for giving the good doctor enough rope to hang himself during Christmas week, which helped the process of deflating the lead he was sitting on.
What do the results mean? What matters now is that the velocity of events is going to increase dramatically. Next Tuesday, its South Carolina, Oklahoma, North Dakota, New Mexico, Arizona, Delaware, and Missouri, followed that Saturday by Michigan and Washington state. Two weeks from today, its Tennessee and Virginia, followed by two relatively quiet weeks building up to the day that should clinch the nomination: March 2, when California, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont have their turns in the barrell.
South Carolina is going to garner the attention over the coming week, as it is the vestige of the original "SuperTuesday" of the 1988 campaign, Lee Atwater's [twisted]brain child. Obviously, with the exception of North Dakota [where the candidates will spend little to no time], next Tuesday's contests are all below the Mason-Dixon line, but also are areas of the country [except Delaware] experiencing demographic growth as America's population shifts south and west over time.
Kerry is clearly the winner, and is peaking at the right time. Now is the time to be the front-runner, because although there's a dramatic increase in scrutiny with being the perceived leader, there is also less time for single story lines to develop, given the compressed and frenetic pace about to begin. The worse time to be the front runner is in the period between Thanksgiving and the Iowa caucus. Time's aplenty for story lines to develop, a process accelerated by a critical mass of the political reporting class congregated in the same small areas. There are not that many bars in Des Moines and Concord after all, and plenty of nights to spend speculating, waiting for something to happen. That's not to say a front-runner can't collapse after New Hampshire, it's just to say that a Dean-like collapse, the slow motion trainwreck isn't going to happen. Unless he doesn't win convincingly at least twice in the next two weeks, Kerry's good to go until March 2 as the presumed leader. He's won outside of his comfort zone [Iowa] and he one a major coming from behind [something Tiger Woods has yet to do]. What he has to do now is raise serious cash in the next couple of days [perhaps 51 flavors?] and get on the air to make a serious showing in Virginia, to show he can win somewhere in the South.
Dean finished second, but he is, to put it politely, screwed: he lost a huge lead in his backyard state. This was a collapse that would make even Phil Mickelson blush. Sure, you'll hear a lot about how Clinton "won" New Hampshire by coming in second, but here's why that comparison is specious: first, Clinton was a born natural campaigner, which Dean clearly is not. Dean has a hell of a stump speech that can toss red meat [or raw fish] to fire up his crowds, but he's demonstrated a complete lack of ability to translate this in a televised format that's not heavily scripted. Second, he never had the lead that Dean had in New Hampshire, and last but certainly not least New Hampshire was as far outside of his regional base you could get without actually being in the Maritime Provinces. You can't lose on your home turf in the primaries without raising serious questions as to your electability. Sure he's got a ton of cash, but he's got the temper and lack of political sense to say "Hell, let's give John Kerry a little taste of what I got over the past month!" The problem is, this will further cement his media frame of Doctor Nasty, a reputation that's not going to play well on the stages he needs to compete over the next two weeks. Look for lots of replay of his "George Bush is not my neighbor" type stuff. Bottom line: he needs to win in either Michigan or Washington state on February 7th , or he's officially [whole wheet, stone ground, free range] toast. You know, Mike Dukakis does teach a seminar in health care policy at Northeastern....
Edwards has the serious "Joementum" coming out of New Hampshire, as the scene shifts to his home turf over the next two weeks. If he can run up the score in South Carolina, this will change the tone on the coverage of Kerry; if he can't, Kerry gets a bye going into March 2. This is where Al Sharpton is going to factor in: if he's going to alter the dynamics anywhere in a way that will gain him influence at the convention and afterwards, it will be by delivering votes and turnout in South Carolina. Edwards has one distinct advantage there: he's been endorsed by Hootie and the Blowfish, which is more influential an endorsement in the Palmetto state than that of the Des Moines Register and the Manchester Union-Leader combined.
Note to Senator Kerry and Governor Dean: you are now entering the part of the campaign that when they ask about reform in the SEC, you need to answer by bashing the Bowl Championship Series, not suggesting changes on Wall Street. Also, BBQ is eaten dry or wet, rather than being the implement of cooking upon. And believe it or not, the mascot of the University of South Carolina is a rooster that fights to the death, so don't feel weirded out by lots of folks wearing black hats that say "COCKS" across the front.
And what of the General? Skipping Iowa to focus on New Hampshire was a tactic worthy of, er, George McClellan. He's already taking to the airwaves and the mailboxes in Virginia: look for him to try to make his stand next Tuesday in Oklahoma and Arizona, and the week after in Tennessee and Virginia.
And poor old Joe? I like Joe, I really do. Decent guy. Unfortunately, the lovely Carol Merrill will have some fabulous departing prizes. Perhaps if he's lucky, it will be the lifetime supply of Riceroni, the San Francisco Treat.
The New Hampshire/Iowa portion of the presidential is now finally over.
I must confess I hate this part of the presidential election cycle. Perhaps hate is too strong a word, yet if you were going to pick two states to have the closest scrutiny in starting the process of picking a president, it sure as heck wouldn't be these two. The problem is besides their idiosyncrasies that they have come to relish too keenly their being catered to. Why should the Concord Monitor have such weight in the process of picking the leader of the free world? Then again, we owe the folks at the Concord Monitor thanks for giving the good doctor enough rope to hang himself during Christmas week, which helped the process of deflating the lead he was sitting on.
What do the results mean? What matters now is that the velocity of events is going to increase dramatically. Next Tuesday, its South Carolina, Oklahoma, North Dakota, New Mexico, Arizona, Delaware, and Missouri, followed that Saturday by Michigan and Washington state. Two weeks from today, its Tennessee and Virginia, followed by two relatively quiet weeks building up to the day that should clinch the nomination: March 2, when California, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont have their turns in the barrell.
South Carolina is going to garner the attention over the coming week, as it is the vestige of the original "SuperTuesday" of the 1988 campaign, Lee Atwater's [twisted]brain child. Obviously, with the exception of North Dakota [where the candidates will spend little to no time], next Tuesday's contests are all below the Mason-Dixon line, but also are areas of the country [except Delaware] experiencing demographic growth as America's population shifts south and west over time.
Kerry is clearly the winner, and is peaking at the right time. Now is the time to be the front-runner, because although there's a dramatic increase in scrutiny with being the perceived leader, there is also less time for single story lines to develop, given the compressed and frenetic pace about to begin. The worse time to be the front runner is in the period between Thanksgiving and the Iowa caucus. Time's aplenty for story lines to develop, a process accelerated by a critical mass of the political reporting class congregated in the same small areas. There are not that many bars in Des Moines and Concord after all, and plenty of nights to spend speculating, waiting for something to happen. That's not to say a front-runner can't collapse after New Hampshire, it's just to say that a Dean-like collapse, the slow motion trainwreck isn't going to happen. Unless he doesn't win convincingly at least twice in the next two weeks, Kerry's good to go until March 2 as the presumed leader. He's won outside of his comfort zone [Iowa] and he one a major coming from behind [something Tiger Woods has yet to do]. What he has to do now is raise serious cash in the next couple of days [perhaps 51 flavors?] and get on the air to make a serious showing in Virginia, to show he can win somewhere in the South.
Dean finished second, but he is, to put it politely, screwed: he lost a huge lead in his backyard state. This was a collapse that would make even Phil Mickelson blush. Sure, you'll hear a lot about how Clinton "won" New Hampshire by coming in second, but here's why that comparison is specious: first, Clinton was a born natural campaigner, which Dean clearly is not. Dean has a hell of a stump speech that can toss red meat [or raw fish] to fire up his crowds, but he's demonstrated a complete lack of ability to translate this in a televised format that's not heavily scripted. Second, he never had the lead that Dean had in New Hampshire, and last but certainly not least New Hampshire was as far outside of his regional base you could get without actually being in the Maritime Provinces. You can't lose on your home turf in the primaries without raising serious questions as to your electability. Sure he's got a ton of cash, but he's got the temper and lack of political sense to say "Hell, let's give John Kerry a little taste of what I got over the past month!" The problem is, this will further cement his media frame of Doctor Nasty, a reputation that's not going to play well on the stages he needs to compete over the next two weeks. Look for lots of replay of his "George Bush is not my neighbor" type stuff. Bottom line: he needs to win in either Michigan or Washington state on February 7th , or he's officially [whole wheet, stone ground, free range] toast. You know, Mike Dukakis does teach a seminar in health care policy at Northeastern....
Edwards has the serious "Joementum" coming out of New Hampshire, as the scene shifts to his home turf over the next two weeks. If he can run up the score in South Carolina, this will change the tone on the coverage of Kerry; if he can't, Kerry gets a bye going into March 2. This is where Al Sharpton is going to factor in: if he's going to alter the dynamics anywhere in a way that will gain him influence at the convention and afterwards, it will be by delivering votes and turnout in South Carolina. Edwards has one distinct advantage there: he's been endorsed by Hootie and the Blowfish, which is more influential an endorsement in the Palmetto state than that of the Des Moines Register and the Manchester Union-Leader combined.
Note to Senator Kerry and Governor Dean: you are now entering the part of the campaign that when they ask about reform in the SEC, you need to answer by bashing the Bowl Championship Series, not suggesting changes on Wall Street. Also, BBQ is eaten dry or wet, rather than being the implement of cooking upon. And believe it or not, the mascot of the University of South Carolina is a rooster that fights to the death, so don't feel weirded out by lots of folks wearing black hats that say "COCKS" across the front.
And what of the General? Skipping Iowa to focus on New Hampshire was a tactic worthy of, er, George McClellan. He's already taking to the airwaves and the mailboxes in Virginia: look for him to try to make his stand next Tuesday in Oklahoma and Arizona, and the week after in Tennessee and Virginia.
And poor old Joe? I like Joe, I really do. Decent guy. Unfortunately, the lovely Carol Merrill will have some fabulous departing prizes. Perhaps if he's lucky, it will be the lifetime supply of Riceroni, the San Francisco Treat.
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
Note To Our Readers (Or One Of Them, Anyway)
Mom? Read the links!
That is all.
Mom? Read the links!
That is all.
Today's After 3:00 PM Half-Price Specials
Mother Nature is striking again, with snow, sleet and freezing rain moving back into the area. In a show of resolve worthy of these post-9/11 Can Do times, The Office has gone to White Alert Status and is closing down. I shall probably scoop up an armload of files and beetle out of here soon as well.
But before I go, here are this afternoon's offerings. We're going to try and rank them from serious on down to silly. That way, when you reach your "Aw Jeez" moment, you won't have to waste any additional time scrolling down because you already know it won't get any better. That's us Llama Butchers - always looking out for you!
BUSH LIED!: Lots of political hay is being made over David Kay's recent remarks concerning the Iraqi WMD threat. The best thoughts I've seen to date on what Kay actually said (and what it all means to the WMD threat assessment) come from John Hawkins at Right Wing News. (HT to BlackFive, who also has intelligent things to add.) I say again that Dubya and the White House have got to come out swinging on this whole business and cannot back down in the face of the Moonbats on the Left. One of our ongoing themes here is that in politics, the perception becomes the reality. If enough people believe Bush fibbed, the results will be catastrophic, not just for the GOP, but for the country.
PATERNALISTIC LIBERALISM, PART I: Joanne Jacobs has comments about the frustration some Liberal Academics face in attempting to brainwash, er, "enlighten" their student charges today. In a way, I guess this is a kind of "Dog Bites Man" story, except that it is refreshing to see student resistence. Note in particular the "What is wrong with these people" tone of the good instructor's remarks. (BTW - I got yer "wakeful political literacy" right here, Lady!) Takes me back to my youth at Middletown Reeducation Camp No. 06459 - I still remember the day I innocently asked what use it was to read The Merchant of Venice in light of the Holocaust when Shakespeare had died some 300 years earlier. Boy did that get a rise! Stooopid kid.
PATERNALISTIC LIBERALISM, PART II: Meanwhile, Jane Galt Fisks an interview of an Episcopal Rector who attended a screening of Mel Gibson's The Passion. Sigh. I am an Episcopalian myself and am very well acquainted with this sort of Superior Clergy in the Church. To these folks, Jesus was the Original Social Worker, Faith is for fools and rednecks and the New Testament commands that we do Whatever Turns Us On.
Okay, now we're beginning to slide down the scale a bit.....
SHOOTING FISH IN A BARREL: The Krugman Truth Squad bitch-slaps the World's Most Dangerous Economist again. You'd think Luskin has to spend all of his off hours with his hand in an ice-bucket, he's done this so often....
GRATUITOUS FOOTBALL SEGUE AND PREDICTION: TMQ is up with all sorts of interesting stats ahead of the Big Game. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict a Carolina win in a close, grueling, defensive game. Am I biased because I'm a Dolphins fan? P'raps, p'raps. DIE PATRIOT SCUMBAGS!
Are you ready for a bit of fun now?
USELESS POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY TEST: Right here, courtesy of Kate, whose site design creeps me out more and more. I'm beginning to imagine those eyes are following me around. As for my test results - My top three: Aquinas, Aristotle and Augustine. Cellar-dwellers: Cynics, Nel Noddings and Thomas Hobbes. Yup, seems about right. What puzzled me was how the hell Ayn Rand made it to 7th place. I'm about as much a libertarian as is George Will.
WEIRD WINE RANT: Dr. Schloktopus over at Amish Tech Support slams a critic of his Zinfandelic Knowledge. Okay, I think this is funny....
COULD POTUS BLOW IT?: Frank J offers a Top Ten List of possible scenarios.
TODAY'S POP ART/GENEOLOGY QUIZ: Try and draw this tree without breaking your wrist. I imagine everyone in Appalachia is having a good laugh over this one.
AAAAAND: There's this. 'Nuff said. (HT to Hugh).
(Ed. - Taranto thinks he's escaped assimilation today, but he's wrong. Resistance is futile. We are the Blorg. Watch this space.)
TARANTO BLORG UPDATE: Assimilation complete.
Mother Nature is striking again, with snow, sleet and freezing rain moving back into the area. In a show of resolve worthy of these post-9/11 Can Do times, The Office has gone to White Alert Status and is closing down. I shall probably scoop up an armload of files and beetle out of here soon as well.
But before I go, here are this afternoon's offerings. We're going to try and rank them from serious on down to silly. That way, when you reach your "Aw Jeez" moment, you won't have to waste any additional time scrolling down because you already know it won't get any better. That's us Llama Butchers - always looking out for you!
BUSH LIED!: Lots of political hay is being made over David Kay's recent remarks concerning the Iraqi WMD threat. The best thoughts I've seen to date on what Kay actually said (and what it all means to the WMD threat assessment) come from John Hawkins at Right Wing News. (HT to BlackFive, who also has intelligent things to add.) I say again that Dubya and the White House have got to come out swinging on this whole business and cannot back down in the face of the Moonbats on the Left. One of our ongoing themes here is that in politics, the perception becomes the reality. If enough people believe Bush fibbed, the results will be catastrophic, not just for the GOP, but for the country.
PATERNALISTIC LIBERALISM, PART I: Joanne Jacobs has comments about the frustration some Liberal Academics face in attempting to brainwash, er, "enlighten" their student charges today. In a way, I guess this is a kind of "Dog Bites Man" story, except that it is refreshing to see student resistence. Note in particular the "What is wrong with these people" tone of the good instructor's remarks. (BTW - I got yer "wakeful political literacy" right here, Lady!) Takes me back to my youth at Middletown Reeducation Camp No. 06459 - I still remember the day I innocently asked what use it was to read The Merchant of Venice in light of the Holocaust when Shakespeare had died some 300 years earlier. Boy did that get a rise! Stooopid kid.
PATERNALISTIC LIBERALISM, PART II: Meanwhile, Jane Galt Fisks an interview of an Episcopal Rector who attended a screening of Mel Gibson's The Passion. Sigh. I am an Episcopalian myself and am very well acquainted with this sort of Superior Clergy in the Church. To these folks, Jesus was the Original Social Worker, Faith is for fools and rednecks and the New Testament commands that we do Whatever Turns Us On.
Okay, now we're beginning to slide down the scale a bit.....
SHOOTING FISH IN A BARREL: The Krugman Truth Squad bitch-slaps the World's Most Dangerous Economist again. You'd think Luskin has to spend all of his off hours with his hand in an ice-bucket, he's done this so often....
GRATUITOUS FOOTBALL SEGUE AND PREDICTION: TMQ is up with all sorts of interesting stats ahead of the Big Game. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict a Carolina win in a close, grueling, defensive game. Am I biased because I'm a Dolphins fan? P'raps, p'raps. DIE PATRIOT SCUMBAGS!
Are you ready for a bit of fun now?
USELESS POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY TEST: Right here, courtesy of Kate, whose site design creeps me out more and more. I'm beginning to imagine those eyes are following me around. As for my test results - My top three: Aquinas, Aristotle and Augustine. Cellar-dwellers: Cynics, Nel Noddings and Thomas Hobbes. Yup, seems about right. What puzzled me was how the hell Ayn Rand made it to 7th place. I'm about as much a libertarian as is George Will.
WEIRD WINE RANT: Dr. Schloktopus over at Amish Tech Support slams a critic of his Zinfandelic Knowledge. Okay, I think this is funny....
COULD POTUS BLOW IT?: Frank J offers a Top Ten List of possible scenarios.
TODAY'S POP ART/GENEOLOGY QUIZ: Try and draw this tree without breaking your wrist. I imagine everyone in Appalachia is having a good laugh over this one.
AAAAAND: There's this. 'Nuff said. (HT to Hugh).
(Ed. - Taranto thinks he's escaped assimilation today, but he's wrong. Resistance is futile. We are the Blorg. Watch this space.)
TARANTO BLORG UPDATE: Assimilation complete.
AGGGGH! Blogger just ate a rather long [and dare I say bitchin'] post, which started with gratuitous domestic blogging re the snow, explained basic physics to SUV drivers, made predictions about New Hampshire, gave my views on the whole Episcopal bishop stuff and ended with a nice fisking of Jerry Falwell. Somewhere, an evil minion in the bowels is laughing, "we have you now. blog! Blog, monkey boy! Blog like your life depends upon it."
That's it for me today: back to painting the bedroom, clearing the snow, and downing the hot toddies!
That's it for me today: back to painting the bedroom, clearing the snow, and downing the hot toddies!
Happy Birthday, Gangerl!
Just so you know, today is the 248th anniversary of the birth of Mozart, probably my all-time favorite composer.
An interesting thing I've noticed is that there are basically two kinds of biographies of Mozart: those that indulge in all the treakly hoo-ha about his precocious youth, his pitiful requests to friends for loans, his inability to overcome Court intrigue and competition, his death in obscurity Just Before He Was Discovered, and so on; and those that seek to rip all these stories to shreds and stamp on the bits. Why it is that Mozart's life seems to arouse so many passions amongst musical historians is beyond me - but you (well, at least, I) certainly don't see that kind of treatment (pro or con) of Bach, Handel, Haydn or any of the other pre-Romantic greats.
As for his music, what can I usefully say? As a general rule, I don't like opera - I find it long-winded and tedious - but Mozart's Big Three, Le Nozzi di Figaro, Don Giovanni and Cosi fan Tutte are so utterly above anything else ever created in the medium that I could listen to them forever. No one, NO ONE else has ever come close to achieving the same balance of music, language and character as did Gangerl in these works. (I dearly wanted to do a senior thesis on the place of Giovanni in the whole Don Juan myth cycle, but alas, there were so many English majors at my school that the department had to have draconian thesis qualifications just to keep from getting swamped.)
What else? Hoorah for the period instrument movement for releasing Mozart from the shackles of the likes of Furtwangler and Karajan, and the insipid pedestrianism of Neville Marriner! If you can get hold of the piano concertos as performed by Malcolm Bilson, with J.E. Gardiner and the English Baroque Soloists (on the Archiv label, I think), do so - they are the best performances I have ever heard. As for the symphonies, I believe No. 38 in D Major (the "Prague") is the very apex of the classical form, and one of the very best symphonies ever written. I have a good performance by Trevor Pinnock and the English Concert. I also have a rather poor one by Charles Macarras and a group who's name escapes me at the moment. I understand Christopher Hogwood has also recorded the symphonies, but have not heard him. If it is anything like his Haydn, I'm afraid he might be a wee bit bloodless. Do NOT listen to Bernstein's performances! If you do, I will hunt you down and beat you.
Just so you know, today is the 248th anniversary of the birth of Mozart, probably my all-time favorite composer.
An interesting thing I've noticed is that there are basically two kinds of biographies of Mozart: those that indulge in all the treakly hoo-ha about his precocious youth, his pitiful requests to friends for loans, his inability to overcome Court intrigue and competition, his death in obscurity Just Before He Was Discovered, and so on; and those that seek to rip all these stories to shreds and stamp on the bits. Why it is that Mozart's life seems to arouse so many passions amongst musical historians is beyond me - but you (well, at least, I) certainly don't see that kind of treatment (pro or con) of Bach, Handel, Haydn or any of the other pre-Romantic greats.
As for his music, what can I usefully say? As a general rule, I don't like opera - I find it long-winded and tedious - but Mozart's Big Three, Le Nozzi di Figaro, Don Giovanni and Cosi fan Tutte are so utterly above anything else ever created in the medium that I could listen to them forever. No one, NO ONE else has ever come close to achieving the same balance of music, language and character as did Gangerl in these works. (I dearly wanted to do a senior thesis on the place of Giovanni in the whole Don Juan myth cycle, but alas, there were so many English majors at my school that the department had to have draconian thesis qualifications just to keep from getting swamped.)
What else? Hoorah for the period instrument movement for releasing Mozart from the shackles of the likes of Furtwangler and Karajan, and the insipid pedestrianism of Neville Marriner! If you can get hold of the piano concertos as performed by Malcolm Bilson, with J.E. Gardiner and the English Baroque Soloists (on the Archiv label, I think), do so - they are the best performances I have ever heard. As for the symphonies, I believe No. 38 in D Major (the "Prague") is the very apex of the classical form, and one of the very best symphonies ever written. I have a good performance by Trevor Pinnock and the English Concert. I also have a rather poor one by Charles Macarras and a group who's name escapes me at the moment. I understand Christopher Hogwood has also recorded the symphonies, but have not heard him. If it is anything like his Haydn, I'm afraid he might be a wee bit bloodless. Do NOT listen to Bernstein's performances! If you do, I will hunt you down and beat you.
Correction
I've been tagged by a reader for a recent comment I made regarding Evelyn Waugh. Specifically, I erroneously described him as "Anglo-Catholic" which is not at all the same thing as an English Roman Catholic, which is what he really was. My apologies. What I meant to say was that I was a warm admirer of Waugh's embrace of English Roman Catholicism, expressed very strongly via his description of the Crouchback family in his Sword of Honor trilogy. I know, I know, Waugh was a convert, and therefore something of a zealot (or, if you prefer, a nut-case). And, of course, the Catholic Church in 21st Century America is completely different from what it was in post-WWII Britain. But, as I said, I am fully cognizant of the fact that I am guilty of romanticizing here. So sue me!
I've been tagged by a reader for a recent comment I made regarding Evelyn Waugh. Specifically, I erroneously described him as "Anglo-Catholic" which is not at all the same thing as an English Roman Catholic, which is what he really was. My apologies. What I meant to say was that I was a warm admirer of Waugh's embrace of English Roman Catholicism, expressed very strongly via his description of the Crouchback family in his Sword of Honor trilogy. I know, I know, Waugh was a convert, and therefore something of a zealot (or, if you prefer, a nut-case). And, of course, the Catholic Church in 21st Century America is completely different from what it was in post-WWII Britain. But, as I said, I am fully cognizant of the fact that I am guilty of romanticizing here. So sue me!
Today's Choice Cuts
Another day of slosh and muck here in Your Nation's Capitol.
Be that as it may, Virginia Postrel has an interesting link to an outfit called SpeechCodes.Org that rates 300 college campuses around the country on the basis of how far their speech policies infringe on students' freedom of expression. Of course, this doesn't much surprise me. Nor does this. Professor Steve? How come is it that "liberal" schools is always more, like, intolerant, n'stuff? [YIPS from Steve: You mean like how 50 years after Brown many Warren Court fans still point to the prevalance of de facto school segregation, whereas the military, 56 years after Truman's order, is the most integrated entity in American life?]
Speaking of Academics, Professor Bainbridge has sensible things to say about the recently-dismissed class-action slave reparations suit. However, I'm not really sure that it's fair to say society encourages this sort of thing. Rather, our society in general and our legal system in particular are simply such that a small group of motivated, energetic individuals (e.g., the activists, lawyers, etc.) can take action without either the encouragement or permission of anyone else. We read about these suits in the papers and shrug, thinking perhaps "Jeez, what a bunch of nutters," but realistically speaking, what can we do about them? Sure, individual judges are going to stop some of these suits, but sooner or later one is going to get all the way through. And this says nothing of the cases that are settled by business defendants in order to make them go away, regardless of the merits. The only real permanent answer would be some kind of massive legal reform. (Class action limitations? Statutory prohibition of reparations claims? Increased corporate liability protection? Dunno. I haven't paid enough attention to the legal arguments underpinning the claims to know where these guys are coming from.) But in order to do that, you have to persuade up to 50 state legislatures plus Washington to do something. That requires an almost superhuman amount of effort and organization, certainly far more effort than it takes to put together a lawsuit. And there simply is nowhere near a sufficient amount of public outrage to take that kind of action. I think the bottom line is: They care. We don't. They win.
How about some politics? Steyn advises the Dems not to start making Inaugural Ball hotel reservations just yet. He also thinks the New Hampshire vote today is a toss-up between Kerry and Dean.
Gotta go - More later.
UPDATE: How could I forget to link to Peggy? Today's theme: Clark is a Weirdo. Mmmmm.....Peggy!
Another day of slosh and muck here in Your Nation's Capitol.
Be that as it may, Virginia Postrel has an interesting link to an outfit called SpeechCodes.Org that rates 300 college campuses around the country on the basis of how far their speech policies infringe on students' freedom of expression. Of course, this doesn't much surprise me. Nor does this. Professor Steve? How come is it that "liberal" schools is always more, like, intolerant, n'stuff? [YIPS from Steve: You mean like how 50 years after Brown many Warren Court fans still point to the prevalance of de facto school segregation, whereas the military, 56 years after Truman's order, is the most integrated entity in American life?]
Speaking of Academics, Professor Bainbridge has sensible things to say about the recently-dismissed class-action slave reparations suit. However, I'm not really sure that it's fair to say society encourages this sort of thing. Rather, our society in general and our legal system in particular are simply such that a small group of motivated, energetic individuals (e.g., the activists, lawyers, etc.) can take action without either the encouragement or permission of anyone else. We read about these suits in the papers and shrug, thinking perhaps "Jeez, what a bunch of nutters," but realistically speaking, what can we do about them? Sure, individual judges are going to stop some of these suits, but sooner or later one is going to get all the way through. And this says nothing of the cases that are settled by business defendants in order to make them go away, regardless of the merits. The only real permanent answer would be some kind of massive legal reform. (Class action limitations? Statutory prohibition of reparations claims? Increased corporate liability protection? Dunno. I haven't paid enough attention to the legal arguments underpinning the claims to know where these guys are coming from.) But in order to do that, you have to persuade up to 50 state legislatures plus Washington to do something. That requires an almost superhuman amount of effort and organization, certainly far more effort than it takes to put together a lawsuit. And there simply is nowhere near a sufficient amount of public outrage to take that kind of action. I think the bottom line is: They care. We don't. They win.
How about some politics? Steyn advises the Dems not to start making Inaugural Ball hotel reservations just yet. He also thinks the New Hampshire vote today is a toss-up between Kerry and Dean.
Gotta go - More later.
UPDATE: How could I forget to link to Peggy? Today's theme: Clark is a Weirdo. Mmmmm.....Peggy!
Monday, January 26, 2004
Today's After 3:00 PM Half-Priced Specials
May need to keep it short today, folks. Ice pellets are coming down and folks in DC are being advised to pick up and head home early. So! Choose Fast! (If anyone is reading, that is. Blogger seems to be having some kind of temper-tantrum about opening our webpage. Damn you, Blogger! Damn you to Hell!!)
KERRY ROCK-THROWING WATCH: The Volokh Gang has some thoughts about Kerry's post-Yeearrggh bounce. Money quote: The "Dated Dean, Married Kerry" buttons don't fully communicate the dynamic, not without some tweaking. After dating a fiery, passionate guy who now seems a little nuts, these voters are lovelessly marrying the nearest single guy who seems basically grown-up and stable-- someone who is boringly familiar but at least a known quantity. Will this work in November? The article suggests you ask Bob Dole about duty-driven nominations. Meanwhile, Daniel Drezner has some thoughts on Kerry's half-assed dismissal of the South.
'E'S NOT COMPLETELY DEAD: Hugh picks up on the Dean-Resurgent theme. Please! Oh, Please! Oh, Please! Oh, Please!......
SHIP OF FOOLS: Viking Pundit has a round up of New Hampshire predictions. Remember, Ladies and Gentlemen, we have this down on the record. This amateur blogger reaffirms his determination not to call any race beforehand. I don't like crow.
POPE J-HEAVY-P AND DA VATICAN CREWE: Uh....okay. What's next? Moonwalking Bishops?
GIGLI WATCH: Can't let the day go by without mention of the Razzies. C'mon, Ben-Lo! We're rooting for ya!
THIS WILL HELP: Feeling a little whacked by getting the Pope, breakdancing and the whole Ben & J-Lo fiasco thrown at you at once? OxBlog is here for you.
YIP! YIP! YIP!: Big thanks to James Joyner for mentioning the addition of this Lowly Insect of a Blog to his B-roll. We have, of course, done the same for him. This is one of the things I really like about the blogsphere, the willingness to spread the word about other folks' little efforts. Sure, it's getting to be automatic, what with Blogrolling, Technorati and all, but no one has to do it.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, INDEED: Whaddaya know? It's BlackFive's as well. Click on over and bolster his numbers. It's a nice present.
BAD THINGS: Jeff Jarvis has a link to one of the worst websites I've seen in a long time.
RESISTANCE IS FUTILE: Taranto has been assimilated. We are the Blorg.
May need to keep it short today, folks. Ice pellets are coming down and folks in DC are being advised to pick up and head home early. So! Choose Fast! (If anyone is reading, that is. Blogger seems to be having some kind of temper-tantrum about opening our webpage. Damn you, Blogger! Damn you to Hell!!)
KERRY ROCK-THROWING WATCH: The Volokh Gang has some thoughts about Kerry's post-Yeearrggh bounce. Money quote: The "Dated Dean, Married Kerry" buttons don't fully communicate the dynamic, not without some tweaking. After dating a fiery, passionate guy who now seems a little nuts, these voters are lovelessly marrying the nearest single guy who seems basically grown-up and stable-- someone who is boringly familiar but at least a known quantity. Will this work in November? The article suggests you ask Bob Dole about duty-driven nominations. Meanwhile, Daniel Drezner has some thoughts on Kerry's half-assed dismissal of the South.
'E'S NOT COMPLETELY DEAD: Hugh picks up on the Dean-Resurgent theme. Please! Oh, Please! Oh, Please! Oh, Please!......
SHIP OF FOOLS: Viking Pundit has a round up of New Hampshire predictions. Remember, Ladies and Gentlemen, we have this down on the record. This amateur blogger reaffirms his determination not to call any race beforehand. I don't like crow.
POPE J-HEAVY-P AND DA VATICAN CREWE: Uh....okay. What's next? Moonwalking Bishops?
GIGLI WATCH: Can't let the day go by without mention of the Razzies. C'mon, Ben-Lo! We're rooting for ya!
THIS WILL HELP: Feeling a little whacked by getting the Pope, breakdancing and the whole Ben & J-Lo fiasco thrown at you at once? OxBlog is here for you.
YIP! YIP! YIP!: Big thanks to James Joyner for mentioning the addition of this Lowly Insect of a Blog to his B-roll. We have, of course, done the same for him. This is one of the things I really like about the blogsphere, the willingness to spread the word about other folks' little efforts. Sure, it's getting to be automatic, what with Blogrolling, Technorati and all, but no one has to do it.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, INDEED: Whaddaya know? It's BlackFive's as well. Click on over and bolster his numbers. It's a nice present.
BAD THINGS: Jeff Jarvis has a link to one of the worst websites I've seen in a long time.
RESISTANCE IS FUTILE: Taranto has been assimilated. We are the Blorg.
G'DAY, MATES!
Not only is today my 39th Birthday, I was also informed by my girls this morning that it is, in fact, Australia Day, as well. So altogether now:
Australia! Australia! Australia! Australia! We love you! Amen!
Crack tube!
Right. The kids seem to have picked up this fact due to their devotion to The Wiggles. I've often said that I rather like these guys. They simply sing, dance and do silly little skits. No preaching, no PC-isms, no reading of diktats from the Soviet of Nice like a certain large purple Nancy Boy.
But I begin to sense there is a Dark Side to these beaming Bruces. First, we have one of their books, entitled "Let's Spend The Day Together." It's a silly little picture book in which each character identifies some object commonly found at the seashore. Well, one of the pictures is of a pair of surfers. Here is where I sense a stirring in the Force. These aren't just surfers. They are a pair of fabulous surfer-babes sitting astride their boards on the water. Both of them are wearing sort of half-length wetsuits that are cut way, way up their hips. Yow! I leave the rest to your imagination. (Isn't that what Barney wants us to do?) The Butcher's Wife thinks that photo was put in as a little incentive to Dads to keep reading the book over and over. She may be right, but I'll need to do further research before coming to my own conclusion.
The other recent clue involves the videotape Wiggles on Safari. In it, they team up with the Croc-Hunter guy and go 'round the Australian Zoo. But what is startling comes up in a little section of outtakes at the end of the film: Greg (aka Yellow Wiggle) always, always has a smile plastered on his face. But one of the outtakes is a clip of him sitting in The Big Red Car waiting for filming to begin. He looks peeved. He looks annoyed. He looks quite impatient about something. B'lieve me, when you're used to seeing him in 24/7 Happy Mode, this clip is rather the equivalent of watching that scene in Once Upon A Time In The West where bad guy Henry Fonda calmly shoots a little boy in cold blood because one of his fellow bandits blurted out his name in front of the kid.
Well, there you go. If any other Wiggles Dark Side examples come to my attention, I'll be sure to pass them on. In the meantime, to celebrate Australia Day, I leave you with the Philosophy De-paht-ment of the University of Walamalay:
Eeeeemanuel Kant was a real pissant who was very rarely stable,
Heidegger, Heidegger was a boozy beggar who could think you under the table,
Davy Hume could out-consume Wilhelm Freidrich Hegel,
and Wittgenstein was a beary swine who was just as sloshed as Schlegel.
There's nothing Nitsche couldn't teach about the raisin' of the wrist.
Socrates himself was peh-menantly piiiiiissed.......
John Stuart Mill, of his own free will, after half a pint of shandy was pah-ticularly ill,
Plato, they say, could stick it away, half a crate of whiskey every day!
Aristotle, Aristotle was a bugger for the bottle,
Hobbes was fond of his dram,
and Rene Descartes was a drunken fart: "I drink therefore I am!"
Yes Socrates himself is particularly miiiiised - a lovely little thinker but a bugger when he's pissed! (boing!)
Not only is today my 39th Birthday, I was also informed by my girls this morning that it is, in fact, Australia Day, as well. So altogether now:
Australia! Australia! Australia! Australia! We love you! Amen!
Crack tube!
Right. The kids seem to have picked up this fact due to their devotion to The Wiggles. I've often said that I rather like these guys. They simply sing, dance and do silly little skits. No preaching, no PC-isms, no reading of diktats from the Soviet of Nice like a certain large purple Nancy Boy.
But I begin to sense there is a Dark Side to these beaming Bruces. First, we have one of their books, entitled "Let's Spend The Day Together." It's a silly little picture book in which each character identifies some object commonly found at the seashore. Well, one of the pictures is of a pair of surfers. Here is where I sense a stirring in the Force. These aren't just surfers. They are a pair of fabulous surfer-babes sitting astride their boards on the water. Both of them are wearing sort of half-length wetsuits that are cut way, way up their hips. Yow! I leave the rest to your imagination. (Isn't that what Barney wants us to do?) The Butcher's Wife thinks that photo was put in as a little incentive to Dads to keep reading the book over and over. She may be right, but I'll need to do further research before coming to my own conclusion.
The other recent clue involves the videotape Wiggles on Safari. In it, they team up with the Croc-Hunter guy and go 'round the Australian Zoo. But what is startling comes up in a little section of outtakes at the end of the film: Greg (aka Yellow Wiggle) always, always has a smile plastered on his face. But one of the outtakes is a clip of him sitting in The Big Red Car waiting for filming to begin. He looks peeved. He looks annoyed. He looks quite impatient about something. B'lieve me, when you're used to seeing him in 24/7 Happy Mode, this clip is rather the equivalent of watching that scene in Once Upon A Time In The West where bad guy Henry Fonda calmly shoots a little boy in cold blood because one of his fellow bandits blurted out his name in front of the kid.
Well, there you go. If any other Wiggles Dark Side examples come to my attention, I'll be sure to pass them on. In the meantime, to celebrate Australia Day, I leave you with the Philosophy De-paht-ment of the University of Walamalay:
Eeeeemanuel Kant was a real pissant who was very rarely stable,
Heidegger, Heidegger was a boozy beggar who could think you under the table,
Davy Hume could out-consume Wilhelm Freidrich Hegel,
and Wittgenstein was a beary swine who was just as sloshed as Schlegel.
There's nothing Nitsche couldn't teach about the raisin' of the wrist.
Socrates himself was peh-menantly piiiiiissed.......
John Stuart Mill, of his own free will, after half a pint of shandy was pah-ticularly ill,
Plato, they say, could stick it away, half a crate of whiskey every day!
Aristotle, Aristotle was a bugger for the bottle,
Hobbes was fond of his dram,
and Rene Descartes was a drunken fart: "I drink therefore I am!"
Yes Socrates himself is particularly miiiiised - a lovely little thinker but a bugger when he's pissed! (boing!)
YEP
Read this article by Brian Preston of the JunkYardBlog. (HT to Glenn.) It is important for at least two separate reasons.
First, as I have said, it is premature to write off the claims about Saddam's WMD. We simply don't know yet what happened and it's going to take a long time to piece everything together. (My advice to Bashar Assad, btw, is that if he is hanging on to some of Saddam's goodies, he'd better come clean fast. If we find them in Syria on our own, he's going to be in a world of hurt.)
Second, while this issue of what David Kay really says or believes is getting batted about in the blogsphere, most of the rest of the population doesn't see it. Instead, they are informed only by what they pick up from television and the newspapers. Kerry's "Bush LIED!" meme is going to have much more resonance among folks who get all their news analysis from the Times, WaPo or Sunday Talking Heads circuit, both because of the inherent bias in the mainstream press and because "Top Iraqi Weapons Inspector Says No WMD" is a sexy headline that sells newspapers. I could see this even while talking to my parents yesterday. Intelligent, educated, but confined mostly to mainstream media, they have a completely different understanding of what is going on in Iraq than I do. Not that they would vote Democrat (perish the thought!), but they believe that Dubya is getting into increasingly deep political trouble over the matter. And in politics, perception has a funny way of becoming reality, even if there is no actual basis for it.
As I noted re Andrew Sullivan's comments below, the Bush White House has to come out swinging on this issue. It is just too damn important to let Kerry and his ilk demagogue it.
UPDATE: Justin Katz is all over this, too. (Again, via Glenn.)
One thought that occassionally wanders into my brain: Is Dubya rope-a-doping the Left again?
Read this article by Brian Preston of the JunkYardBlog. (HT to Glenn.) It is important for at least two separate reasons.
First, as I have said, it is premature to write off the claims about Saddam's WMD. We simply don't know yet what happened and it's going to take a long time to piece everything together. (My advice to Bashar Assad, btw, is that if he is hanging on to some of Saddam's goodies, he'd better come clean fast. If we find them in Syria on our own, he's going to be in a world of hurt.)
Second, while this issue of what David Kay really says or believes is getting batted about in the blogsphere, most of the rest of the population doesn't see it. Instead, they are informed only by what they pick up from television and the newspapers. Kerry's "Bush LIED!" meme is going to have much more resonance among folks who get all their news analysis from the Times, WaPo or Sunday Talking Heads circuit, both because of the inherent bias in the mainstream press and because "Top Iraqi Weapons Inspector Says No WMD" is a sexy headline that sells newspapers. I could see this even while talking to my parents yesterday. Intelligent, educated, but confined mostly to mainstream media, they have a completely different understanding of what is going on in Iraq than I do. Not that they would vote Democrat (perish the thought!), but they believe that Dubya is getting into increasingly deep political trouble over the matter. And in politics, perception has a funny way of becoming reality, even if there is no actual basis for it.
As I noted re Andrew Sullivan's comments below, the Bush White House has to come out swinging on this issue. It is just too damn important to let Kerry and his ilk demagogue it.
UPDATE: Justin Katz is all over this, too. (Again, via Glenn.)
One thought that occassionally wanders into my brain: Is Dubya rope-a-doping the Left again?
Today's Choice Cuts
Mucho apologies from the Butcher Shop. DC got about 5 inches of snow last night - nothing sets you up for a day at the office like having to go out and shovel your driveway first - and things are a bit ahoo. Also prepping for a meeting with a new client aaaand shaking off the effects of last night's Birthday, er, Dinner.
So here are just a few items on offer today:
MO' MODO: Catherine Seipp at the Independent Women's Forum checks in with her monthly Dowd watch, with some theories about who's really at the controls in Maurine's head.
GO POTUS: Sullivan has good advice for Dubya about Iraq. As it becomes less and less probable that we are going to find a large secret cave bursting with boxes labeled "FOB Baltimore Harbor - Do Not Drop" it is extremely important for the Administration not to flinch over its decision to go to war. It was the right thing to do, for a variety of reasons that the White House has been giving anybody who would listen for a long time. This message has to be delivered again and again. If Dubya blinks in the face of the anti-war left, he will be eaten alive. Somehow, though, I don't think he's going to blink. UPDATE: On the other hand, this story ain't over yet.
YO DEAN: As was the case last week, this blogger steadfastly refuses to make any predictions regarding New Hampshire. But there seems to be some evidence that Mad Howard might be getting his legs back under him. Please! Please let this be........
GO DEEP: On the other hand, Martini Man is throwing for the end zone.
SNARK THIS: Over the weekend, Mom asked me "Tom, why don't you write more and link less? Well, sometimes there's just nothing left to say. Heh.
More later.
Mucho apologies from the Butcher Shop. DC got about 5 inches of snow last night - nothing sets you up for a day at the office like having to go out and shovel your driveway first - and things are a bit ahoo. Also prepping for a meeting with a new client aaaand shaking off the effects of last night's Birthday, er, Dinner.
So here are just a few items on offer today:
MO' MODO: Catherine Seipp at the Independent Women's Forum checks in with her monthly Dowd watch, with some theories about who's really at the controls in Maurine's head.
GO POTUS: Sullivan has good advice for Dubya about Iraq. As it becomes less and less probable that we are going to find a large secret cave bursting with boxes labeled "FOB Baltimore Harbor - Do Not Drop" it is extremely important for the Administration not to flinch over its decision to go to war. It was the right thing to do, for a variety of reasons that the White House has been giving anybody who would listen for a long time. This message has to be delivered again and again. If Dubya blinks in the face of the anti-war left, he will be eaten alive. Somehow, though, I don't think he's going to blink. UPDATE: On the other hand, this story ain't over yet.
YO DEAN: As was the case last week, this blogger steadfastly refuses to make any predictions regarding New Hampshire. But there seems to be some evidence that Mad Howard might be getting his legs back under him. Please! Please let this be........
GO DEEP: On the other hand, Martini Man is throwing for the end zone.
SNARK THIS: Over the weekend, Mom asked me "Tom, why don't you write more and link less? Well, sometimes there's just nothing left to say. Heh.
More later.
Sunday, January 25, 2004
I'm really going to miss him, I really am
But I have a feeling I'll still be able to get my Howard Dean laugh a minute fix as he shows up at American Political Science Association meetings in the future, as the Disgruntled Professor of Public Policy at Montpelier State.
Why am I so certain, you ask?
Now that's got to be an all-time standard for moral relativism. It pretty much encapsulates in a nutshell the entire case as to why Howard Dean should never get in the White House, even on the public tour.
Here's the kicker:
"Now I would never defend Saddam Hussein," Dean told the "Women for Dean" rally.
We all know what comes next, the BUT. You know, the "Now we all knew the Soviet Union was going to collapse, but..." etc. So here goes the good doctor:
"He's a horrible person. I'm delighted he's gone. Would there not have been a better way to get rid of him in cooperation with the United Nations?"
But I have a feeling I'll still be able to get my Howard Dean laugh a minute fix as he shows up at American Political Science Association meetings in the future, as the Disgruntled Professor of Public Policy at Montpelier State.
Why am I so certain, you ask?
"You can say that it's great that Saddam is gone and I'm sure that a lot of Iraqis feel it is great that Saddam is gone," said the former Vermont governor, an unflinching critic of the war against Iraq (news - web sites). "But a lot of them gave their lives. And their living standard is a whole lot worse now than it was before."
Now that's got to be an all-time standard for moral relativism. It pretty much encapsulates in a nutshell the entire case as to why Howard Dean should never get in the White House, even on the public tour.
Here's the kicker:
"Now I would never defend Saddam Hussein," Dean told the "Women for Dean" rally.
We all know what comes next, the BUT. You know, the "Now we all knew the Soviet Union was going to collapse, but..." etc. So here goes the good doctor:
"He's a horrible person. I'm delighted he's gone. Would there not have been a better way to get rid of him in cooperation with the United Nations?"
Punters versus the polls
Regulars here know we've been following the political futures markets over at British book-making firm TradeSports, tracking their prices to see how they relate to the traditional public opinion polls. My theory has been that the markets will show breaks in approval [up or down] before they show up in the polls.
Today's prices:
Dean: The day of Dean's endorsement by Al Gore, Dean futures were trading at $70.8 a share [worth $100 if he won the nomination, 0 if he didn't]. Last Sunday, they were trading at around $60. Today, you can pick them up at the bargain price of $14. That means if you shorted Dean when Al endorsed, you are sitting pretty!
Kerry: Started the week at around $4 a contract, now trading at $58.
Edwards: Started the week at $2, now at $19.
Clark: To bet on Clark, you have to bet on the "field" [ie one of the candidates without a separate contract, this is because he entered the race after the market opened]. While the Field's price was up to as high as $32 last week, it's down now to around 8 bucks.
And what about Bush? He's at $68, which is at the high end of his chart but down from the $75 a contract he was trading about when Dean was cresting last month.
The volume has surged as well: over 100,000 contracts have traded on Bush's reelection, and my eyeballing of the Democrats has close to 350,000 contracts out. This is a wee bit larger sample than the 800-1000 adults in your typical poll.
Regulars here know we've been following the political futures markets over at British book-making firm TradeSports, tracking their prices to see how they relate to the traditional public opinion polls. My theory has been that the markets will show breaks in approval [up or down] before they show up in the polls.
Today's prices:
Dean: The day of Dean's endorsement by Al Gore, Dean futures were trading at $70.8 a share [worth $100 if he won the nomination, 0 if he didn't]. Last Sunday, they were trading at around $60. Today, you can pick them up at the bargain price of $14. That means if you shorted Dean when Al endorsed, you are sitting pretty!
Kerry: Started the week at around $4 a contract, now trading at $58.
Edwards: Started the week at $2, now at $19.
Clark: To bet on Clark, you have to bet on the "field" [ie one of the candidates without a separate contract, this is because he entered the race after the market opened]. While the Field's price was up to as high as $32 last week, it's down now to around 8 bucks.
And what about Bush? He's at $68, which is at the high end of his chart but down from the $75 a contract he was trading about when Dean was cresting last month.
The volume has surged as well: over 100,000 contracts have traded on Bush's reelection, and my eyeballing of the Democrats has close to 350,000 contracts out. This is a wee bit larger sample than the 800-1000 adults in your typical poll.
BACK.......BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN
I'm back in town, but only slowly regaining consciousness. From late Wednesday til Friday afternoon I had a thirty-six hour stretch of activity that seemed to last for about six months---not in a bad way, but just very intense. Since Friday I've been basically wiped out intellectually and emotionally, but with that great feeling that you get when you've literally poured it all into something with total abandon. Whether it comes through or not, it was a defining 36 hours which in many ways marked the end of one stage and the beginning of another.
What else? Not much to say today--I haven't really seen the news since mid-week. I did see the flotsam of the pro-life/anti-Roe demonstration on the hill---I was walking through Union Station around 5 on Thursday and have never seen so many Catholic school kids in my life [and I come from a pretty big Catholic family]. Of course, Catholic School kids don't dress like the used to--the dominant theme seemed to by Punks for Christ, if you get my drift. Crucifix piercings, yes, plaid skirts, no. On the whole, they were relatively polite, at least compared to maybe a thousand school kids coming in to protest Charles River Bridge or something. Friday morning the litter from their wake was still pretty evident.
The snow's coming down pretty hard now, which is odd from my new vantage point in the basement. It gives the place a Bob Cratchit sort of feel.
I'm back in town, but only slowly regaining consciousness. From late Wednesday til Friday afternoon I had a thirty-six hour stretch of activity that seemed to last for about six months---not in a bad way, but just very intense. Since Friday I've been basically wiped out intellectually and emotionally, but with that great feeling that you get when you've literally poured it all into something with total abandon. Whether it comes through or not, it was a defining 36 hours which in many ways marked the end of one stage and the beginning of another.
What else? Not much to say today--I haven't really seen the news since mid-week. I did see the flotsam of the pro-life/anti-Roe demonstration on the hill---I was walking through Union Station around 5 on Thursday and have never seen so many Catholic school kids in my life [and I come from a pretty big Catholic family]. Of course, Catholic School kids don't dress like the used to--the dominant theme seemed to by Punks for Christ, if you get my drift. Crucifix piercings, yes, plaid skirts, no. On the whole, they were relatively polite, at least compared to maybe a thousand school kids coming in to protest Charles River Bridge or something. Friday morning the litter from their wake was still pretty evident.
The snow's coming down pretty hard now, which is odd from my new vantage point in the basement. It gives the place a Bob Cratchit sort of feel.
Oh, One Other Thing
If you scroll down the blogroll, you'll see that we have become Lowly Insects in the Blogsphere Ecosystem. The fact that we even show up at all, given the zillions of blogs out there, makes me quite grateful. So thanks much to everyone who reads this little screed! Come back early and often! Wake the kids and phone the neighbors! If we draw your name, you could win a mountain bike! YIP! YIP! YIP! YIP!
If you scroll down the blogroll, you'll see that we have become Lowly Insects in the Blogsphere Ecosystem. The fact that we even show up at all, given the zillions of blogs out there, makes me quite grateful. So thanks much to everyone who reads this little screed! Come back early and often! Wake the kids and phone the neighbors! If we draw your name, you could win a mountain bike! YIP! YIP! YIP! YIP!
Feeble Attempt At Sunday Blogging
Well, still no word from Steve-O. No worries - the guy is probably ginning up a 500 word piece even as I type. Plus, I 'spect he is pretty worn out from his little outing. Hope it went well, Big Guy! 'Luck!
Here, early family birthday celebration (mine - tomorrow really) is kicking in, as my daughters are bound and determined to Do It Up Right. So must clear the decks of all other obligations before being feted to within an inch of my life....
What else? Oh, yes, DID get to indulge in some music last evening. Pure bliss. I forget how much I miss it when I leave it alone for a while. Here is the playlist:
Telemann - Water Music - Musica Antigua of Koln, Reinhert Goebel.
Haydn - Symphony No. 101 in D Major (The Clock) - Collegium Musicum 90, Richard Hickox.
Mozart - Symphony No. 38 in D Major (The Prague) - English Concert, Trevor Pinnock.
Mozart - The Abduction from the Seraglio - Minetti, Olsen, Orgonasova, Sieden, Peper, Hauptmann - The Monteverdi Choir - The English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner.
You can see where my tastes lie. And my biases. Period instrument performances rule!
Nothing much else to say today. More tomorrow. Later.
Well, still no word from Steve-O. No worries - the guy is probably ginning up a 500 word piece even as I type. Plus, I 'spect he is pretty worn out from his little outing. Hope it went well, Big Guy! 'Luck!
Here, early family birthday celebration (mine - tomorrow really) is kicking in, as my daughters are bound and determined to Do It Up Right. So must clear the decks of all other obligations before being feted to within an inch of my life....
What else? Oh, yes, DID get to indulge in some music last evening. Pure bliss. I forget how much I miss it when I leave it alone for a while. Here is the playlist:
Telemann - Water Music - Musica Antigua of Koln, Reinhert Goebel.
Haydn - Symphony No. 101 in D Major (The Clock) - Collegium Musicum 90, Richard Hickox.
Mozart - Symphony No. 38 in D Major (The Prague) - English Concert, Trevor Pinnock.
Mozart - The Abduction from the Seraglio - Minetti, Olsen, Orgonasova, Sieden, Peper, Hauptmann - The Monteverdi Choir - The English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner.
You can see where my tastes lie. And my biases. Period instrument performances rule!
Nothing much else to say today. More tomorrow. Later.
Saturday, January 24, 2004
Weekend Menu
What's in store from the Llama Butchers this weekend, you ask? Well, here are a few possibilities:
First, of course, is the return of Steve-O, who has been on covert ops the past couple days, thereby leaving yours truly to fly this crate himself. I'm sure our boy will have something to say about, y'know, stuff......Watch this space.
Second, I may have to slip in some more Gratuitous Domestic Blogging (TM). Had a phone call from "Timmy's" father last night, who got a big kick out of the post about my daughters' proprietary in-fighting over possession of the boy. I only hope "Timmy" appreciates this when he gets older.....
Meanwhile, I'm faced with a dilemma this morning.. The older girls are watching The Wizard of Oz and the Butcher's Wife has snuck off for a nap (curses!), leaving me and the two year old, who evidently doesn't give a pair of fetid dingo's kidneys whether Dorothy is stuck in Oz forever. This presents a problem. On the one hand, I can let her hover around me, fly like, breaking my thought processes and reducing my coherence to the level of, say, Sean Penn. On the other, I can let her free range around the house, requiring from me at least one ear cocked in her direction at all time and again, reducing my level of wit and sophistication to that of, say, Alec Baldwin. Decisions, decisions.....In a way, I suppose it's a moot point. At the moment, she's chasing one of the cats around. This is a good compromise - she can't actually catch the cat unless the cat chooses to be caught, but at the same time it keeps her from fiddling with other things. (One of her current favorites is to get into the bathroom, climb the counter and play with the toothpaste.)
What else? Oh, I said I was going to do some things this weekend that I've been blowing off for a while. One is working on a wooden ship model (a Baltimore Clipper called the Harvey), which I don't suppose would interest anybody in the least. The other is to indulge in a musical evening. My main stereo system is set up in my basement study. Unfortunately, I have to keep the door locked whenever the kiddies are on the loose and there is no vent to the heating system in there, so it gets very cold on days like today (it's snowing at the moment). So if I want to sit in there this evening, I'll have to open wide the doors later and crank up the space heater. Ain't my life exciting? But I'm already formulating a concert schedule - Some Haydn and Mozart, I think, plus p'raps a bit of Brahms. Symphonic evening, this time, back to basics. I'll let you know.
Finally, (are you still with me? Splendid!) I mean to stay off political commentary on the weekends, but I couldn't help mentioning this. It appears to me that there is a bit of an anti-anti-Dean resurgence forming. The meme seems to be that the Establishment Press and the Internet are ganging up on poor Mad Howard, hyping his "I Have A Scream" speech and mischaracterizing his message. Oh, and there is a certain amount of "the public are idiots for falling for this stuff" thrown in, as well. Is it, coupled with his recent burst of humble sincerity, enough to get him back in the campaign? Who knows. It would be sweet, tho'....
But this brings me to Molly Ivins, who has an editorial in the WaPo this morning plugging her man Howie as the great hope of the Democratic Party. (She characterizes Kerry as a taller Dukakis. Yes.) The article is, for some reason, not available online (at least I can't find it.) That is okay, because I wanted to focus on one specific paragraph.
Ivins is cranky because she thinks Dean's implosion will cause a debilitating shift in the Dem's attack on Dubya. I quote the relevant passage:
The trouble with Dean dropping back is that the D's then largely lose Iraq as an issue. I think that's a mistake. In the first place, because it was so egregious, if not criminal. We were, in fact, lied into a war we didn't have to fight. And the results are not happy.
The results are not happy? The results are not freakin' happy? God damn you, woman. I'm not going to bother with the whole Bush Lied meme here. Instead I want to focus on that little assessment. Let me see if I have this straight: A country of 22 million people is rid of a brutal dictator that tortured and killed thousands and thousands of his own people, terrorized the region around him, actively promoted the spread of terrorism and was working hard on WMD. (Yes, he was. You who think not will be proven wrong.) That country is now going through the birth pains of democracy and her people have real hope for the future. Meanwhile, our efforts are crippling the terrorist network (two more top Al Queda bad guys were picked up yesterday by our people in Iraq) and scaring the sh*t out of other regimes harboring them (read Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Malaysia). Our willingness to use the big stick has the North Koreans squirming and has already led to the preemptive surrender of Khadaffi. (In the perfect timing category, there is a big front page story in the WaPo today about how access to Khadaffi's records is revealing the existence of a huge international nuclear black market.)
All of these things have been accomplished in less than a year and at the cost of 500 odd U.S. servicemen killed.
And you think "the results are not happy?"
Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Words fail me. You, Molly Ivins, are either a complete idiot or a rank traitor. Take your pick. Maybe both. Yes, I used the "T" word. Are you so blind in your political desire that you are willing to ignore, belittle or belie the genuine good that has come out of our actions in Iraq? Are you sorry that we've squashed one ruthless maniac, caused another to fold, and scared the bejebbus out of many others? Or that we are rolling up a whole host of homicidal lunatics? Do I need to point out to you that any and or all of these folks would gladly, gladly pull off something that would make 9/11 look like a mugging? Nah, I guess it doesn't matter. Anyone But Dubya is all you care about, and if it takes a scorched earth damning of the country to get there, so be it.
Sorry to go off like this, and I really didn't plan to here and now, but damn this kind of thing makes me angry. Feh.
Deep breath, glass of water, go do something else.......
What's in store from the Llama Butchers this weekend, you ask? Well, here are a few possibilities:
First, of course, is the return of Steve-O, who has been on covert ops the past couple days, thereby leaving yours truly to fly this crate himself. I'm sure our boy will have something to say about, y'know, stuff......Watch this space.
Second, I may have to slip in some more Gratuitous Domestic Blogging (TM). Had a phone call from "Timmy's" father last night, who got a big kick out of the post about my daughters' proprietary in-fighting over possession of the boy. I only hope "Timmy" appreciates this when he gets older.....
Meanwhile, I'm faced with a dilemma this morning.. The older girls are watching The Wizard of Oz and the Butcher's Wife has snuck off for a nap (curses!), leaving me and the two year old, who evidently doesn't give a pair of fetid dingo's kidneys whether Dorothy is stuck in Oz forever. This presents a problem. On the one hand, I can let her hover around me, fly like, breaking my thought processes and reducing my coherence to the level of, say, Sean Penn. On the other, I can let her free range around the house, requiring from me at least one ear cocked in her direction at all time and again, reducing my level of wit and sophistication to that of, say, Alec Baldwin. Decisions, decisions.....In a way, I suppose it's a moot point. At the moment, she's chasing one of the cats around. This is a good compromise - she can't actually catch the cat unless the cat chooses to be caught, but at the same time it keeps her from fiddling with other things. (One of her current favorites is to get into the bathroom, climb the counter and play with the toothpaste.)
What else? Oh, I said I was going to do some things this weekend that I've been blowing off for a while. One is working on a wooden ship model (a Baltimore Clipper called the Harvey), which I don't suppose would interest anybody in the least. The other is to indulge in a musical evening. My main stereo system is set up in my basement study. Unfortunately, I have to keep the door locked whenever the kiddies are on the loose and there is no vent to the heating system in there, so it gets very cold on days like today (it's snowing at the moment). So if I want to sit in there this evening, I'll have to open wide the doors later and crank up the space heater. Ain't my life exciting? But I'm already formulating a concert schedule - Some Haydn and Mozart, I think, plus p'raps a bit of Brahms. Symphonic evening, this time, back to basics. I'll let you know.
Finally, (are you still with me? Splendid!) I mean to stay off political commentary on the weekends, but I couldn't help mentioning this. It appears to me that there is a bit of an anti-anti-Dean resurgence forming. The meme seems to be that the Establishment Press and the Internet are ganging up on poor Mad Howard, hyping his "I Have A Scream" speech and mischaracterizing his message. Oh, and there is a certain amount of "the public are idiots for falling for this stuff" thrown in, as well. Is it, coupled with his recent burst of humble sincerity, enough to get him back in the campaign? Who knows. It would be sweet, tho'....
But this brings me to Molly Ivins, who has an editorial in the WaPo this morning plugging her man Howie as the great hope of the Democratic Party. (She characterizes Kerry as a taller Dukakis. Yes.) The article is, for some reason, not available online (at least I can't find it.) That is okay, because I wanted to focus on one specific paragraph.
Ivins is cranky because she thinks Dean's implosion will cause a debilitating shift in the Dem's attack on Dubya. I quote the relevant passage:
The trouble with Dean dropping back is that the D's then largely lose Iraq as an issue. I think that's a mistake. In the first place, because it was so egregious, if not criminal. We were, in fact, lied into a war we didn't have to fight. And the results are not happy.
The results are not happy? The results are not freakin' happy? God damn you, woman. I'm not going to bother with the whole Bush Lied meme here. Instead I want to focus on that little assessment. Let me see if I have this straight: A country of 22 million people is rid of a brutal dictator that tortured and killed thousands and thousands of his own people, terrorized the region around him, actively promoted the spread of terrorism and was working hard on WMD. (Yes, he was. You who think not will be proven wrong.) That country is now going through the birth pains of democracy and her people have real hope for the future. Meanwhile, our efforts are crippling the terrorist network (two more top Al Queda bad guys were picked up yesterday by our people in Iraq) and scaring the sh*t out of other regimes harboring them (read Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Malaysia). Our willingness to use the big stick has the North Koreans squirming and has already led to the preemptive surrender of Khadaffi. (In the perfect timing category, there is a big front page story in the WaPo today about how access to Khadaffi's records is revealing the existence of a huge international nuclear black market.)
All of these things have been accomplished in less than a year and at the cost of 500 odd U.S. servicemen killed.
And you think "the results are not happy?"
Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Words fail me. You, Molly Ivins, are either a complete idiot or a rank traitor. Take your pick. Maybe both. Yes, I used the "T" word. Are you so blind in your political desire that you are willing to ignore, belittle or belie the genuine good that has come out of our actions in Iraq? Are you sorry that we've squashed one ruthless maniac, caused another to fold, and scared the bejebbus out of many others? Or that we are rolling up a whole host of homicidal lunatics? Do I need to point out to you that any and or all of these folks would gladly, gladly pull off something that would make 9/11 look like a mugging? Nah, I guess it doesn't matter. Anyone But Dubya is all you care about, and if it takes a scorched earth damning of the country to get there, so be it.
Sorry to go off like this, and I really didn't plan to here and now, but damn this kind of thing makes me angry. Feh.
Deep breath, glass of water, go do something else.......
Friday, January 23, 2004
Blogging Karma
Here I was, waxing nostalgic about studying Latin (and, of course Roman History), when I suddenly stumble across Classical Values' mammoth Fisking of revisionist histories of Judea.
How about that.
Here I was, waxing nostalgic about studying Latin (and, of course Roman History), when I suddenly stumble across Classical Values' mammoth Fisking of revisionist histories of Judea.
How about that.
Today's After 3:00 PM Half-Price Specials
Hoo-yah, it's Friday! Let's see what's out on the counter:
MAYBE, JUST MAYBE: The World's Scariest Website is flogging rumors of Something Big. Allah is scared.
STATE OF THE DONKEY: Tacitus gives us a taste of things to come. Kerry is everyone's darling right now, but the Press is going to get tired of him eventually and start throwing things like this at him. And if he gets the nomination, just wait'll Dubya limbers up.
STATE OF THE PADDED CELL: Frank J feels no, uh, restraint.
RED/BLUE STATE OF THE COUNTRY: The Blogging Caesar has a coo-el electoral projection map. He plans to update it regularly, so bookmark it somewheres. HT to Tim Blair.
1ST MARTIAN COUNTERATTACK BEATEN BACK: Rover checks in. Also, OxBlog has some links to cool pics.
BLOG? WHAZZAT? Mom sometimes asks, "Anthony, what is blogging?" Well Jeff Jarvis has some cogent thoughts on what works and what doesn't in the field of blogging dynamics. Meanwhile, James Joyner looks at the blog/non-blog divide in the context of Mad Howard's "I Have A Scream" speech. Needless to say, we know who both James and Glenn are. You should read both. Often.
SPEAKING OF BLOGS: A Llama Butcher YIP! YIP! YIP! to Viking Pundit, who we just came across today. We like both his name and the fact that he holds a small conservative redoubt in the wilds of Massachusetts. Having done hard time at Trotsky U., we know what it's like to be surrounded by slavering, wild-eyed lefties.
TODAY'S TWOFER: Donald Sensing takes the honors with a fascinating post about who might be next in the war on terror, and a list of groaner Bible jokes. For those who don't know, Sensing is a former gunnery officer and an active minister, so this makes perfect sense in a cosmic way. UPDATE James Joyner is looking through the same gunsite.
REALLY BAD TASTE DEPARTMENT: Amish Tech Support says it's time to update your Dead Pool scorecard. As saddened as I am to learn of the death of the Captain, I'm sorry to say it goes in the category of "Oh, I thought he was dead already." Same thing happened yesterday.
LINKY LINK: I like links to lots of other links because it gives you good one-stop shopping exposure to sites you might not otherwise have ever noticed. That's why we carry the Carnivals and Bonfires of the Vanities and also, partly, why we assimilate Taranto every day. In keeping with that spirit, here's Venomous Kate's Letter of the Day. Y? Because we like it.
AND SPEAKING OF TARANTO: Resistance is futile. We are the Blorg.
UPDATE: Oh, I can't resist. Want some more riffs on Mad Howard of YEEAAGGH!!? Go here.
Hoo-yah, it's Friday! Let's see what's out on the counter:
MAYBE, JUST MAYBE: The World's Scariest Website is flogging rumors of Something Big. Allah is scared.
STATE OF THE DONKEY: Tacitus gives us a taste of things to come. Kerry is everyone's darling right now, but the Press is going to get tired of him eventually and start throwing things like this at him. And if he gets the nomination, just wait'll Dubya limbers up.
STATE OF THE PADDED CELL: Frank J feels no, uh, restraint.
RED/BLUE STATE OF THE COUNTRY: The Blogging Caesar has a coo-el electoral projection map. He plans to update it regularly, so bookmark it somewheres. HT to Tim Blair.
1ST MARTIAN COUNTERATTACK BEATEN BACK: Rover checks in. Also, OxBlog has some links to cool pics.
BLOG? WHAZZAT? Mom sometimes asks, "Anthony, what is blogging?" Well Jeff Jarvis has some cogent thoughts on what works and what doesn't in the field of blogging dynamics. Meanwhile, James Joyner looks at the blog/non-blog divide in the context of Mad Howard's "I Have A Scream" speech. Needless to say, we know who both James and Glenn are. You should read both. Often.
SPEAKING OF BLOGS: A Llama Butcher YIP! YIP! YIP! to Viking Pundit, who we just came across today. We like both his name and the fact that he holds a small conservative redoubt in the wilds of Massachusetts. Having done hard time at Trotsky U., we know what it's like to be surrounded by slavering, wild-eyed lefties.
TODAY'S TWOFER: Donald Sensing takes the honors with a fascinating post about who might be next in the war on terror, and a list of groaner Bible jokes. For those who don't know, Sensing is a former gunnery officer and an active minister, so this makes perfect sense in a cosmic way. UPDATE James Joyner is looking through the same gunsite.
REALLY BAD TASTE DEPARTMENT: Amish Tech Support says it's time to update your Dead Pool scorecard. As saddened as I am to learn of the death of the Captain, I'm sorry to say it goes in the category of "Oh, I thought he was dead already." Same thing happened yesterday.
LINKY LINK: I like links to lots of other links because it gives you good one-stop shopping exposure to sites you might not otherwise have ever noticed. That's why we carry the Carnivals and Bonfires of the Vanities and also, partly, why we assimilate Taranto every day. In keeping with that spirit, here's Venomous Kate's Letter of the Day. Y? Because we like it.
AND SPEAKING OF TARANTO: Resistance is futile. We are the Blorg.
UPDATE: Oh, I can't resist. Want some more riffs on Mad Howard of YEEAAGGH!!? Go here.
Episcopal Schism Watch
Interesting article in the WSJ today about the rift in the Episcopal Church and the nascent rebel alliance therein.
The dynamics of all of this are fascinating to watch being played out at the parish level. My own parish is pretty conservative, as a whole, but not activist in any real sense. Opinion about the ordination of Gene Robinson seems to range from outright hostility to a kind of benign tolerance. I know several people who have quit the church. Most folks would just like the issue to go away. I know of nobody who actively supports the General Convention decision.
The rector, on the other hand, is a friend and supporter of Robinson. During the fall, he laid rather low on the issues of General Convention, but now he seems to be working up towards a kind of confrontation (well, what he would call an educational dialogue) with the congregation. Had he just left it alone, I doubt seriously whether anything would have happened in our parish. But if he does force the matter, it might be enough to spark a revolt. That could take the form of anything from getting rid of the rector to joining the rebel alliance outright.
Who ever thought church was boring? Stay tuned.
Interesting article in the WSJ today about the rift in the Episcopal Church and the nascent rebel alliance therein.
The dynamics of all of this are fascinating to watch being played out at the parish level. My own parish is pretty conservative, as a whole, but not activist in any real sense. Opinion about the ordination of Gene Robinson seems to range from outright hostility to a kind of benign tolerance. I know several people who have quit the church. Most folks would just like the issue to go away. I know of nobody who actively supports the General Convention decision.
The rector, on the other hand, is a friend and supporter of Robinson. During the fall, he laid rather low on the issues of General Convention, but now he seems to be working up towards a kind of confrontation (well, what he would call an educational dialogue) with the congregation. Had he just left it alone, I doubt seriously whether anything would have happened in our parish. But if he does force the matter, it might be enough to spark a revolt. That could take the form of anything from getting rid of the rector to joining the rebel alliance outright.
Who ever thought church was boring? Stay tuned.
I'm Keeping My Contacts, Dammit!
It seems VodkaMan was off at the eye doc yesterday. He didn't say why, but one of his commenters mentioned the desire to get laser surgery.
My advice: Don't Do It! Refractive surgery, on which Lasik is based, was pioneered by the Soviets fer cryin' out loud! You really want Ivan messing about with your eyes?
'Course, Lasik replaces the scalpel with a laser, but that's just as bad. Remember Goldfinger? "You expect me to talk?" "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!"
I've said it before - if your head balloons up and bursts, don't come crying to me.
It seems VodkaMan was off at the eye doc yesterday. He didn't say why, but one of his commenters mentioned the desire to get laser surgery.
My advice: Don't Do It! Refractive surgery, on which Lasik is based, was pioneered by the Soviets fer cryin' out loud! You really want Ivan messing about with your eyes?
'Course, Lasik replaces the scalpel with a laser, but that's just as bad. Remember Goldfinger? "You expect me to talk?" "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!"
I've said it before - if your head balloons up and bursts, don't come crying to me.
Ave! Ave!
A great article in The Economist dispelling the premature rumors that Latin is completely dead. (HT to Derb. I have Climbing Parnassus. It's a book that should make anyone who has gone through the modern system of higher education (particularly in America) feel like an idiot.)
The bit in Life of Brian with Cleese the Centurion giving Chapman's Brian Latin lessons mentioned in the article is one of the funniest parts of the movie. I took a number of years of Latin in high school myself. My teacher, a native Texan, never got tired of his little joke of adding a drawl to his pronunciations. So every day we would get "Saaylewheytey, Discipuhlyeee." Our return joke was to roll our eyes, hang our heads and mumble our "Salve, Magister" in a hang-dog, sing-song schoolboy voice. In our translations, it was always those wacky Etruscans who were up to something, ably led by the inevitable Lars Porsena. Of course, in the end the Romans always got the best of him. Great hilarity occasionally broke out over translations. One time, a rather dim girl in the class mixed up the Latin words for eye (oculus) and joke (ioculatio) and went right through a paragraph talking about how Medusa's jokes turned men to stone.
We did a goodish bit of extracurricular activity as well, going to conferences and workshops and the like around the state. One of our favorite guest speakers was a rather wild-eyed Brit professor from the University of Texas who was always delivering lectures on themes like "Caligula Wasn't! Really!! Crazy!!! Ack! Splatthh! NReaaauuh!"
But back to Latin, which I really learned to love. Of the classics we read, Caesar was the easiest to deal with. He was a no-nonsense guy and his Gallic Wars is a straightforward military report. Only did a little Sallust - he was harder. Cicero was an absolute bitch. I forget which court case we were working on, but trying to keep track of who poisoned whom was headache making. Alas, never did more than snippets of the poets.
If I had it all to do again, I might very well have chosen a Classics major and carried on my Latin. (Ed. - Look on my face, my name is Might Have Been.) Oh, well. Just have to content myself with translations.
A great article in The Economist dispelling the premature rumors that Latin is completely dead. (HT to Derb. I have Climbing Parnassus. It's a book that should make anyone who has gone through the modern system of higher education (particularly in America) feel like an idiot.)
The bit in Life of Brian with Cleese the Centurion giving Chapman's Brian Latin lessons mentioned in the article is one of the funniest parts of the movie. I took a number of years of Latin in high school myself. My teacher, a native Texan, never got tired of his little joke of adding a drawl to his pronunciations. So every day we would get "Saaylewheytey, Discipuhlyeee." Our return joke was to roll our eyes, hang our heads and mumble our "Salve, Magister" in a hang-dog, sing-song schoolboy voice. In our translations, it was always those wacky Etruscans who were up to something, ably led by the inevitable Lars Porsena. Of course, in the end the Romans always got the best of him. Great hilarity occasionally broke out over translations. One time, a rather dim girl in the class mixed up the Latin words for eye (oculus) and joke (ioculatio) and went right through a paragraph talking about how Medusa's jokes turned men to stone.
We did a goodish bit of extracurricular activity as well, going to conferences and workshops and the like around the state. One of our favorite guest speakers was a rather wild-eyed Brit professor from the University of Texas who was always delivering lectures on themes like "Caligula Wasn't! Really!! Crazy!!! Ack! Splatthh! NReaaauuh!"
But back to Latin, which I really learned to love. Of the classics we read, Caesar was the easiest to deal with. He was a no-nonsense guy and his Gallic Wars is a straightforward military report. Only did a little Sallust - he was harder. Cicero was an absolute bitch. I forget which court case we were working on, but trying to keep track of who poisoned whom was headache making. Alas, never did more than snippets of the poets.
If I had it all to do again, I might very well have chosen a Classics major and carried on my Latin. (Ed. - Look on my face, my name is Might Have Been.) Oh, well. Just have to content myself with translations.
Today's Choice Cuts
Not that I don't thoroughly enjoy doing the Choice Cuts and the After Three Specials, too. Where's the added value in these? One stop shopping, my friends. And sometimes the additional commentary has been known to provoke a reader smile.
So, it's Friday and you know what that means! Here we go:
VDH once more lays it all out in words even a Democratic presidential candidate ought to understand.....
Meanwhile, Mom's favorite Charles Krauthammer stands in the rain under the streetlight, mourning over the corpse of Mad Howard and regretting that we pulled the trigger too soon. Oh, Howie, we hardly knew ya.....
Fred Barnes has a wrap up of last night's New Hampshire debate (which I didn't watch. With My Cousin Vinny on, are you freakin crazy?) Bottom line: Better start digging a grave for Clark, too.
Florence King, my favorite spinster crank, finds herself in the last place she'd ever expect - cyberspace - courtesy of NRO, which has started posting her old Misanthrope's Corner pieces. BWA-HA-HA-HA! (Hint to family, the articles have been collected in a new book "STET, DAMMIT!" that I would dearly love to have, and seeing how my birthday is coming up.....)
On a lighter note, I toss in Mr. Lileks' Bleat today largely due to his discussion of The Wizard of Oz. My oldest is currently somewhat indignant at the fact that in Baum's book, the slippers are actually silver, not ruby. She thinks Baum wasn't paying attention.
And on the home front, the delightful Mrs. Gurdon talks about Proust, arranging libraries and the menace of small children, all themes taken up by the Llama Butchers this week. YIP! YIP! YIP!
Enjoy! Back with Lunch Entrees later......
Not that I don't thoroughly enjoy doing the Choice Cuts and the After Three Specials, too. Where's the added value in these? One stop shopping, my friends. And sometimes the additional commentary has been known to provoke a reader smile.
So, it's Friday and you know what that means! Here we go:
VDH once more lays it all out in words even a Democratic presidential candidate ought to understand.....
Meanwhile, Mom's favorite Charles Krauthammer stands in the rain under the streetlight, mourning over the corpse of Mad Howard and regretting that we pulled the trigger too soon. Oh, Howie, we hardly knew ya.....
Fred Barnes has a wrap up of last night's New Hampshire debate (which I didn't watch. With My Cousin Vinny on, are you freakin crazy?) Bottom line: Better start digging a grave for Clark, too.
Florence King, my favorite spinster crank, finds herself in the last place she'd ever expect - cyberspace - courtesy of NRO, which has started posting her old Misanthrope's Corner pieces. BWA-HA-HA-HA! (Hint to family, the articles have been collected in a new book "STET, DAMMIT!" that I would dearly love to have, and seeing how my birthday is coming up.....)
On a lighter note, I toss in Mr. Lileks' Bleat today largely due to his discussion of The Wizard of Oz. My oldest is currently somewhat indignant at the fact that in Baum's book, the slippers are actually silver, not ruby. She thinks Baum wasn't paying attention.
And on the home front, the delightful Mrs. Gurdon talks about Proust, arranging libraries and the menace of small children, all themes taken up by the Llama Butchers this week. YIP! YIP! YIP!
Enjoy! Back with Lunch Entrees later......
So Anyway...
Haven't done much by way of original content this week. To those of you who enjoy it, my apologies. Sometimes it just works out that way - circumstances are such that for a few days you just go through the routine more or less on autopilot. Work, eat, sleep. Work, eat, sleep. Eh, it happens. I plan to shake things up this weekend - get back into some of the things that add the character - music, exercise, hobbies. I find that if I shove all of these things aside for too long and just vegetate, it has a correlative effect on what I will shamefully call my creative Muse. She's been on bread and water long enough.
Other thing is that for a couple of evenings in a row now, owing to work and other things, I've come home late, after bed time for the kids. I really, really don't like that. One of the nice things about having a regulatory law practice is that the hours are pretty constant. So I am usually home by 7:00 PM or thereabouts. The kids are usually having their after-dinner romp down in the playroom. When they hear me come in, they do a kind of reverse avalanche up the stairs from the basement and swarm me. (It reminds me of those old Wild Kingdom episodes where the hunting dog comes back to the pack and all the others gather round to reestablish their doggy bonds.) Anyhoo, once I'm in and changed, it's time to herd the girls upstairs and into the bathtub. Much singing and splashing. The usual squabble about who has to get out first. If it's a shampoo night, the other usual squabble about the hair dryer and the comb. (Money quote: "Well if you'd just hold still it wouldn't hurt so much!") Go potty. Jammies on. Take your vitamin. Brush your teeth. Now, which book would you like tonight? Read to each of them separately, then the ritual farewell: "Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite. See you in the morning when the sun comes up!"
This whole process is, frankly, exhausting. (I have three extremely energetic kids.) Sometimes, when I'm already particularly tired, the Butcher's Wife will let me off the hook, sending me to watch Simpsons reruns while she does the legwork. I really appreciate that. But when I'm prevented from doing it, particularly when it's more than one night in a row, I get very antsy, like I've been shunted off on to a parallel track - I can see them all, but I'm not really with them. Yucky feeling. That, too, has an effect on my Art (snark).
Well, I see this has transmogrified into a Gratuitous Domestic Blogging (TM) exercise, so I'll knock it off. More about what I think about things, rather than just what I think about what other people think about things (if you follow that) soon.
Haven't done much by way of original content this week. To those of you who enjoy it, my apologies. Sometimes it just works out that way - circumstances are such that for a few days you just go through the routine more or less on autopilot. Work, eat, sleep. Work, eat, sleep. Eh, it happens. I plan to shake things up this weekend - get back into some of the things that add the character - music, exercise, hobbies. I find that if I shove all of these things aside for too long and just vegetate, it has a correlative effect on what I will shamefully call my creative Muse. She's been on bread and water long enough.
Other thing is that for a couple of evenings in a row now, owing to work and other things, I've come home late, after bed time for the kids. I really, really don't like that. One of the nice things about having a regulatory law practice is that the hours are pretty constant. So I am usually home by 7:00 PM or thereabouts. The kids are usually having their after-dinner romp down in the playroom. When they hear me come in, they do a kind of reverse avalanche up the stairs from the basement and swarm me. (It reminds me of those old Wild Kingdom episodes where the hunting dog comes back to the pack and all the others gather round to reestablish their doggy bonds.) Anyhoo, once I'm in and changed, it's time to herd the girls upstairs and into the bathtub. Much singing and splashing. The usual squabble about who has to get out first. If it's a shampoo night, the other usual squabble about the hair dryer and the comb. (Money quote: "Well if you'd just hold still it wouldn't hurt so much!") Go potty. Jammies on. Take your vitamin. Brush your teeth. Now, which book would you like tonight? Read to each of them separately, then the ritual farewell: "Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite. See you in the morning when the sun comes up!"
This whole process is, frankly, exhausting. (I have three extremely energetic kids.) Sometimes, when I'm already particularly tired, the Butcher's Wife will let me off the hook, sending me to watch Simpsons reruns while she does the legwork. I really appreciate that. But when I'm prevented from doing it, particularly when it's more than one night in a row, I get very antsy, like I've been shunted off on to a parallel track - I can see them all, but I'm not really with them. Yucky feeling. That, too, has an effect on my Art (snark).
Well, I see this has transmogrified into a Gratuitous Domestic Blogging (TM) exercise, so I'll knock it off. More about what I think about things, rather than just what I think about what other people think about things (if you follow that) soon.
Technical Update
Thanks to Flit(TM) for letting us LB's know that I did, in fact, snip the correct wire in fiddling with the site yesterday. I don't know what Safari is, but I gather that whatever problems we'd been having with it are gone now. Good! No more distractions!
Thanks to Flit(TM) for letting us LB's know that I did, in fact, snip the correct wire in fiddling with the site yesterday. I don't know what Safari is, but I gather that whatever problems we'd been having with it are gone now. Good! No more distractions!
Thursday, January 22, 2004
This Is Not Good
News today of GOP Judiciary staffers hacking into Dem computer files. This is not good at all. I have no idea whether what happened was criminal, violative of procedure and protocol, or just plain unethical. But they should not have been doing it.
Apart from the impropriety of the hacking itself, this has bad political implications. Lib punditry is already expressing its shock, SHOCK! at the discovery of GOP dirty tricks on the Hill. See here and here. We'll probably see more of this sort of thing in the next comment cycle. All this venting of outrage lets the Left conveniently gloss over the fact that the pilfered memos outlined the Dems' own substantive, unethical and possibly illegal strategies to deep-six Bush judicial nominees, a source of considerable embarrassment to them back in November. (Although the article does point out that if people are going to talk about the hacking, they're also going to talk about what was hacked. Dunno whether this would constitute a wash.) BTW, how is it that Novak seems to be near the bottom of these sorts of story lately? Is he a secret Terry McCauliffe plant?
Bottom line: Heads should roll. Soon.
News today of GOP Judiciary staffers hacking into Dem computer files. This is not good at all. I have no idea whether what happened was criminal, violative of procedure and protocol, or just plain unethical. But they should not have been doing it.
Apart from the impropriety of the hacking itself, this has bad political implications. Lib punditry is already expressing its shock, SHOCK! at the discovery of GOP dirty tricks on the Hill. See here and here. We'll probably see more of this sort of thing in the next comment cycle. All this venting of outrage lets the Left conveniently gloss over the fact that the pilfered memos outlined the Dems' own substantive, unethical and possibly illegal strategies to deep-six Bush judicial nominees, a source of considerable embarrassment to them back in November. (Although the article does point out that if people are going to talk about the hacking, they're also going to talk about what was hacked. Dunno whether this would constitute a wash.) BTW, how is it that Novak seems to be near the bottom of these sorts of story lately? Is he a secret Terry McCauliffe plant?
Bottom line: Heads should roll. Soon.
Special After 5:00 PM Llama Niblet Clearance!
Still in a good mood over my technological triumph of earlier, so here are a few extra treats. They've been sitting out on the counter for a while, but are still dripping with flavor......
G.I. FOR THE QUEER GUY: Allah is in the House! Kufr!
POLLS, SHMOLLS: Scrappleface has a take that's as good as anything else I've see.
KIDS REALLY ARE IDIOTS, DEPT: This little item had the breakroom in stitches 'round here at lunchtime. Via Fark.
DAMMIT, JIM! - I'm a doctor! Not a politician! (Note, I swear I thought of this before I saw Glenn's post!)
Still in a good mood over my technological triumph of earlier, so here are a few extra treats. They've been sitting out on the counter for a while, but are still dripping with flavor......
G.I. FOR THE QUEER GUY: Allah is in the House! Kufr!
POLLS, SHMOLLS: Scrappleface has a take that's as good as anything else I've see.
KIDS REALLY ARE IDIOTS, DEPT: This little item had the breakroom in stitches 'round here at lunchtime. Via Fark.
DAMMIT, JIM! - I'm a doctor! Not a politician! (Note, I swear I thought of this before I saw Glenn's post!)
Your Man On The Street
Well, the WaPo finally did notice the protests today. A surprisingly neutral article, too.
The fact that the Post reported the increased youth of the crowd is also significant - this seems to track a trend over the past few years.
For what it's worth, I just got back from a meeting near DuPont Circle. Had to metro up and back. There were a whooooole lot of folks out and about with Pro Life signs and yes, many of them were quite young.
UPDATE: May I just say it here? Wes Clark is an idiot.
Well, the WaPo finally did notice the protests today. A surprisingly neutral article, too.
The fact that the Post reported the increased youth of the crowd is also significant - this seems to track a trend over the past few years.
For what it's worth, I just got back from a meeting near DuPont Circle. Had to metro up and back. There were a whooooole lot of folks out and about with Pro Life signs and yes, many of them were quite young.
UPDATE: May I just say it here? Wes Clark is an idiot.
Celebratory After 2:00 PM Freebie Special
Because I am so pleased (see below), let's just open up the whole counter a wee bit early (I've got meetings later anyway). Aaaand, today it's on the House:
KICKING THE GLASS-JAWED PORCUPINE SOME MORE: Folks, this is too much fun to stop now. Tim Blair gets some nice ones into his ribs. Meanwhile, Kevin at Wizbang has thoughtfully rounded up a collection of YEEEEAAAGHH!!! remixes. Jeff Jarvis checks out this story's legs. Best line: Calling it the "I Have A Scream" speech. Heh.
UPDATE: Check this out. (HT to Frank J.)
SPICE CHANNEL SOTU: Getting the twofer today, Kevin at Wizbang also points to some interesting similarities. 'Course, I haven't the faintest idea what he's talking about.
BUSH LIED ABOUT_____: Now you can generate your very own custom Bush Conspiracy Theories! (HT to Jonah.)
WILL THE NEW FRONTRUNNER PLEASE INSERT HIS HEAD HERE: The New Republic starts gathering rocks to throw at John Kerry. Are the TNR staff Rove stooges as well?
MERDE! MERDE! MERDE! Some double-barrelled French bashing, complements of A Small Victory. Be sure to check out the bitch-slap Ted Rall column that generated this little tirade as well.
AND WHILE WE'RE AT IT: This has been around for a bit, but Dean has the best copy I've seen.
ANDREW AT THE ALTER: I must have caught a wave with my earlier comments. Cold Fury reprints commentary by a gay friend who, unlike Sullivan, is not clammering to revise the definition of marriage. Meanwhile, Power Line jumps on Andrew for lashing out at the President's remarks on gay marriage Tuesday night. Money quote: "Now, fisking excerpts from a SOTU is a bit like fisking a bumper sticker..." Yep.
Will this cause Andrew to chill? Probably not. He is now praising the Log Cabin Republicans' decision not to endorse Dubya after his "pandering to the far right in his State of the Union." Pandering, Andrew? Pandering? Dubya simply said that something as important as the definition of marriage ought to be left to the people to decide, not rammed down their throats by an activist court. I hardly call that licking the boots of the God Squad.
UPDATE: Taranto has been assimilated. We are the Blorg.
Because I am so pleased (see below), let's just open up the whole counter a wee bit early (I've got meetings later anyway). Aaaand, today it's on the House:
KICKING THE GLASS-JAWED PORCUPINE SOME MORE: Folks, this is too much fun to stop now. Tim Blair gets some nice ones into his ribs. Meanwhile, Kevin at Wizbang has thoughtfully rounded up a collection of YEEEEAAAGHH!!! remixes. Jeff Jarvis checks out this story's legs. Best line: Calling it the "I Have A Scream" speech. Heh.
UPDATE: Check this out. (HT to Frank J.)
SPICE CHANNEL SOTU: Getting the twofer today, Kevin at Wizbang also points to some interesting similarities. 'Course, I haven't the faintest idea what he's talking about.
BUSH LIED ABOUT_____: Now you can generate your very own custom Bush Conspiracy Theories! (HT to Jonah.)
WILL THE NEW FRONTRUNNER PLEASE INSERT HIS HEAD HERE: The New Republic starts gathering rocks to throw at John Kerry. Are the TNR staff Rove stooges as well?
MERDE! MERDE! MERDE! Some double-barrelled French bashing, complements of A Small Victory. Be sure to check out the bitch-slap Ted Rall column that generated this little tirade as well.
AND WHILE WE'RE AT IT: This has been around for a bit, but Dean has the best copy I've seen.
ANDREW AT THE ALTER: I must have caught a wave with my earlier comments. Cold Fury reprints commentary by a gay friend who, unlike Sullivan, is not clammering to revise the definition of marriage. Meanwhile, Power Line jumps on Andrew for lashing out at the President's remarks on gay marriage Tuesday night. Money quote: "Now, fisking excerpts from a SOTU is a bit like fisking a bumper sticker..." Yep.
Will this cause Andrew to chill? Probably not. He is now praising the Log Cabin Republicans' decision not to endorse Dubya after his "pandering to the far right in his State of the Union." Pandering, Andrew? Pandering? Dubya simply said that something as important as the definition of marriage ought to be left to the people to decide, not rammed down their throats by an activist court. I hardly call that licking the boots of the God Squad.
UPDATE: Taranto has been assimilated. We are the Blorg.
I AM KING OF THE FREAKIN' WORLD!!!!!
Finally figured out why the hell the sidebar wouldn't come up to the top of the page. And all by myself! (Steve-O, it was the size of the margin for the main column.) Usually, when I'm fooling with this sort of thing, I feel like the guy trying to decide whether to cut the red wire or the green wire while the timer is winding down.
This has really made my day. YIP! YIP! YIP!
Finally figured out why the hell the sidebar wouldn't come up to the top of the page. And all by myself! (Steve-O, it was the size of the margin for the main column.) Usually, when I'm fooling with this sort of thing, I feel like the guy trying to decide whether to cut the red wire or the green wire while the timer is winding down.
This has really made my day. YIP! YIP! YIP!
Volokh Vulcans
Volokh Central Command flays Nicholas Kristof for pulling a feel-good stunt. As bloodless as their analysis appears (well, they are economists), there is some logical merit to it.
However, the primary benefit of Kristoff's action gets overlooked: At least those two particular little girls are free. That doesn't matter to the overall cost/benefit analysis (after all, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one), but I'll bet it sure as hell matters to them.
Sorry, I seem to be having a Dr. McCoy moment.....
Volokh Central Command flays Nicholas Kristof for pulling a feel-good stunt. As bloodless as their analysis appears (well, they are economists), there is some logical merit to it.
However, the primary benefit of Kristoff's action gets overlooked: At least those two particular little girls are free. That doesn't matter to the overall cost/benefit analysis (after all, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one), but I'll bet it sure as hell matters to them.
Sorry, I seem to be having a Dr. McCoy moment.....
MATT IS A KARL ROVE STOOGE!
Drudge launches a new Gotcha! attack against Edwards.
UPDATE: Roger Simon has sound advice for Edwards' response. Will he take it?
Drudge launches a new Gotcha! attack against Edwards.
UPDATE: Roger Simon has sound advice for Edwards' response. Will he take it?
EEAGH!
Okay, I've been a devoted fan of the guy since the dawn of time, but would you buy a used car from this smile?
Okay, I've been a devoted fan of the guy since the dawn of time, but would you buy a used car from this smile?
Today's Choice Cuts
Yes, it's What The Hell? Thursday here at the Butchers' shop. And here I am, alone and suffering from omelet-head,* trying to make sense of it all! Well, here goes:
VATICAN SECRETS DEPARTMENT: Peggy Noonan (Mmmmm......Peggy!) seems to have stumbled into the middle of quite a bit of intrigue and mystery surrounding the question of whether or not the Pope endorsed Mel Gibson's new film The Passion. This story is a tangled intersection of theological, political and journalistic threads. Best of luck to Peggy in her efforts to get to the bottom of it.
(FWIW, I am eagerly awaiting the release of the movie.)
UPDATE: I'm not sure this clarifies things much.
FURTHER MEA CULPA UPDATE: Before people start getting bent out of shape, let me point out that the surfacing of this story is completely coincidental to Steve-O's injunction yesterday to bash the Vatican. Anyway, I'm not bashing the Vatican. As an Old-Fashioned Palie with High Church sentiments and as a warm admirer of Evelyn Waugh's Anglo-Catholicism, I am, if anything, a Catholic Romantic, and see the Vatican much the way most American Anglophiles see England - probably through unreasonably rose-coloured glasses. I just think this whole business about whether the Pope plugged the movie, and poor Peggy's entanglement in it, is intriguing.
SULLIVAN PSYCHE WATCH: I'm beginning to get concerned that Andrew is starting to come unglued. In recent weeks, he seems to be getting more and more, well, hysterical about things. So far as I can tell, Andrew's increasing ire over the whole gay marriage issue is making him see red about other matters as well, particularly government spending. Sine Qua Non notices the gay marriage thing, too. Dunno. Maybe I'm wrong. Sure, GOP profligacy is something to be concerned about, but Andrew's increasingly vein-popping rhetoric about it (and new projections of Bush doom) seem a bit over the top to me.
CLOSE EYES, PUSH BUTTON DEPT: Today is the 31st Anniversary of Roe v. Wade. So far as I can see, nothing in today's WaPo about the annual March for Life rally to be held in front of SCOTUS. Here is Ramesh's take on the status of the whole debate as of last year. (WARNING: RAMESH IS A PRO-LIFE GUY. DON' T READ THIS LINK IF IT'S GOING TO UPSET YOU.)
From a Constitutional point of view, even my lefty Con Law prof admitted that Roe is rubbish. From a policy point of view, it was a disaster as well, polarizing the matter to such an extent that even passage of the partial birth abortion ban was a Herculean effort. As it is, all pro-lifers are portrayed in large chunks of the press as religious fanatics who cheer abortion doctor-killing pyschopaths when they think no one is looking. (Sorry, but I get tired of this.) And the Pro-Choice crowd has such an absolutist stance that any reform - partental notification, mandatory waiting periods, alternative education - is seen as the first step to the ol' coat hanger in the back alley.
The punch line, of course, is that if Roe were overturned tomorrow, all it would do would be to return the issue state legislatures, where people would be free to debate the issue all they want, and the law would be adjusted to reflect the prevalent will on the matter. Imagine that!
STILL WITH ME? DEPT: On a different note, Jay reports on a pleasant surprise at the annual Davos World Economic Forum. (And no, I'm not talking about the tie ban. DAMN ALL CASUAL DRESS POLICIES!)
HE'S NOT COMPLETELY DEAD, DEPT: Hugh has advice for a Dean resurgence. On the other hand, Professor Bainbridge says don't bother.
COMING ALL THE WAY BACK UP, DEPT: Lileks thrashes Lucas, with help from the Gnat.
* If you've made it this far, congrats on your fortitude. Now your reward: "omelet-head" is what I call a particular condition I suffer every Thursday morning. I have a regular meeting at church on Wednesday nights. Because I'm Episcopalian, this always entails a goodish amount of wine. I don't get home till late and always cook myself a big omelet with huge amounts of peccerino romano, garlic, parsley and onion. 'Nuther glass of wine whilst cooking. Then another with dins. It's well past ten by now. Can't go straight to bed on a full stomach. Maybe some TV. Want a nightcap? Yeah, what the hell. Sooooo, come Thursday AM, the whole mass has traveled from stomach up to brain. Ooog. You'd think this is a Homer and the light socket thing (Zzzzt - D'OH! Zzzzzzt-D'OH! Zzzzzzt - D'OH!) But I'm willing to take the bullet, cos I loooove that omelet!
Yes, it's What The Hell? Thursday here at the Butchers' shop. And here I am, alone and suffering from omelet-head,* trying to make sense of it all! Well, here goes:
VATICAN SECRETS DEPARTMENT: Peggy Noonan (Mmmmm......Peggy!) seems to have stumbled into the middle of quite a bit of intrigue and mystery surrounding the question of whether or not the Pope endorsed Mel Gibson's new film The Passion. This story is a tangled intersection of theological, political and journalistic threads. Best of luck to Peggy in her efforts to get to the bottom of it.
(FWIW, I am eagerly awaiting the release of the movie.)
UPDATE: I'm not sure this clarifies things much.
FURTHER MEA CULPA UPDATE: Before people start getting bent out of shape, let me point out that the surfacing of this story is completely coincidental to Steve-O's injunction yesterday to bash the Vatican. Anyway, I'm not bashing the Vatican. As an Old-Fashioned Palie with High Church sentiments and as a warm admirer of Evelyn Waugh's Anglo-Catholicism, I am, if anything, a Catholic Romantic, and see the Vatican much the way most American Anglophiles see England - probably through unreasonably rose-coloured glasses. I just think this whole business about whether the Pope plugged the movie, and poor Peggy's entanglement in it, is intriguing.
SULLIVAN PSYCHE WATCH: I'm beginning to get concerned that Andrew is starting to come unglued. In recent weeks, he seems to be getting more and more, well, hysterical about things. So far as I can tell, Andrew's increasing ire over the whole gay marriage issue is making him see red about other matters as well, particularly government spending. Sine Qua Non notices the gay marriage thing, too. Dunno. Maybe I'm wrong. Sure, GOP profligacy is something to be concerned about, but Andrew's increasingly vein-popping rhetoric about it (and new projections of Bush doom) seem a bit over the top to me.
CLOSE EYES, PUSH BUTTON DEPT: Today is the 31st Anniversary of Roe v. Wade. So far as I can see, nothing in today's WaPo about the annual March for Life rally to be held in front of SCOTUS. Here is Ramesh's take on the status of the whole debate as of last year. (WARNING: RAMESH IS A PRO-LIFE GUY. DON' T READ THIS LINK IF IT'S GOING TO UPSET YOU.)
From a Constitutional point of view, even my lefty Con Law prof admitted that Roe is rubbish. From a policy point of view, it was a disaster as well, polarizing the matter to such an extent that even passage of the partial birth abortion ban was a Herculean effort. As it is, all pro-lifers are portrayed in large chunks of the press as religious fanatics who cheer abortion doctor-killing pyschopaths when they think no one is looking. (Sorry, but I get tired of this.) And the Pro-Choice crowd has such an absolutist stance that any reform - partental notification, mandatory waiting periods, alternative education - is seen as the first step to the ol' coat hanger in the back alley.
The punch line, of course, is that if Roe were overturned tomorrow, all it would do would be to return the issue state legislatures, where people would be free to debate the issue all they want, and the law would be adjusted to reflect the prevalent will on the matter. Imagine that!
STILL WITH ME? DEPT: On a different note, Jay reports on a pleasant surprise at the annual Davos World Economic Forum. (And no, I'm not talking about the tie ban. DAMN ALL CASUAL DRESS POLICIES!)
HE'S NOT COMPLETELY DEAD, DEPT: Hugh has advice for a Dean resurgence. On the other hand, Professor Bainbridge says don't bother.
COMING ALL THE WAY BACK UP, DEPT: Lileks thrashes Lucas, with help from the Gnat.
* If you've made it this far, congrats on your fortitude. Now your reward: "omelet-head" is what I call a particular condition I suffer every Thursday morning. I have a regular meeting at church on Wednesday nights. Because I'm Episcopalian, this always entails a goodish amount of wine. I don't get home till late and always cook myself a big omelet with huge amounts of peccerino romano, garlic, parsley and onion. 'Nuther glass of wine whilst cooking. Then another with dins. It's well past ten by now. Can't go straight to bed on a full stomach. Maybe some TV. Want a nightcap? Yeah, what the hell. Sooooo, come Thursday AM, the whole mass has traveled from stomach up to brain. Ooog. You'd think this is a Homer and the light socket thing (Zzzzt - D'OH! Zzzzzzt-D'OH! Zzzzzzt - D'OH!) But I'm willing to take the bullet, cos I loooove that omelet!
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
ATTENTION SOTU PUNDITS!
The following quotation just got sent round my office by a guy I respect a lot:
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows, in the end, triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
-Theodore Roosevelt
Damn.
The following quotation just got sent round my office by a guy I respect a lot:
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows, in the end, triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
-Theodore Roosevelt
Damn.
I Don't Like Crow
Punch The Bag provides a cautionary example of the dangers inherent to amateurs calling political races. Call me a coward if you wish, but I had a bacon/turkey sandwich for lunch.
It'll never happen, of course, but PTB has a terrific description of a Dean/Clark ticket:
Remember that talk of a Dean-Clark ticket? That’s like teaming up an angry and stressed life insurance salesman who is behind on his monthly quota with a guy who dares the neighbors at a 4th of July cook-out to a game of Russian roulette.
Sn-Hark!
Punch The Bag provides a cautionary example of the dangers inherent to amateurs calling political races. Call me a coward if you wish, but I had a bacon/turkey sandwich for lunch.
It'll never happen, of course, but PTB has a terrific description of a Dean/Clark ticket:
Remember that talk of a Dean-Clark ticket? That’s like teaming up an angry and stressed life insurance salesman who is behind on his monthly quota with a guy who dares the neighbors at a 4th of July cook-out to a game of Russian roulette.
Sn-Hark!
Mapping the Blogsphere
This is pretty cool. I only recognize a handful of the sites, of course, but it seems the sensible ones are concentrated in Virginia, while the moonbats tend to cluster in Maryland.
Which would be about par for the course.
BTW, Maryland, we got yer Potomac riparian controls right 'cheer.
This is pretty cool. I only recognize a handful of the sites, of course, but it seems the sensible ones are concentrated in Virginia, while the moonbats tend to cluster in Maryland.
Which would be about par for the course.
BTW, Maryland, we got yer Potomac riparian controls right 'cheer.
Today's After 3:00 PM Half-Price Specials
Lots of good stuff today at prices so low, we're practically giving it away! Here we go:
PILING ON THE GLASS-JAWED PORCUPINE: He may well surprise everyone and bounce back in the future, but for now, he's the capybara in the piranha stream. Tim Blair is hosting a Mad-Howard-Libs game where YOU get to fill in your own customized geography of conquest. (HT to James Joyner, who I hope is right!) Allah takes it to Mesopotamia. For a multimedia treat, Dave Barry links to Mr. James Lileks' audio cover, the best one I've heard so far.
Meanwhile, NRO's Deanisms Watch is getting funnier all the time. And even Letterman has got into the game.
STATE OF THE DONKEY: We evidently made a slight error the other day that offended our friends over at Flit(TM). The BitchGirls have now identified the current manifestation of the Prince of Darkness.
OKAY, BUT JUST SO LONG AS I DON'T HAVE TO KISS THE DONKEY: Jeff Jarvis identifies a new political alignment.
COLLATERAL DAMAGE: HerrDoktorProfessor gets caught in the shrapnel of Dean's cratering. The Krugman Truth Squad are stalking him again.
TROJAN HORSE CONSERVATISM: Jonah notes that Dubya is no Reagan. I think this is right, but I also think there is something subtle going on. Whether conservatives like it or not, chanting "Abolish the Dept. of Education" or whatever just isn't gonna fly these days. The Big Government Beast is just too big. Rather than futily trying to kill it, Dubya is trying to ride it. But note how he is also planting the seeds for fundamental restructuring of these programs: medical savings accounts, personal retirement accounts, school vouchers, etc. These are small beginnings, but already they are changing the way we think about entitlement programs by introducing public/private cooperation and competition and by giving beneficiaries greater property rights and control. I believe (well, hope) that eventually these ideas will grow in support and momentum until they radically transform the entire system. If Dubya was just shovelling money into the gullet of the status-quo beast, Teddy would have been doing the Moondance last night. But did you see the look on his face?
LLAMA-STYLE FONDUE: Carnival of the Vanities is up over at Poliblogger. Too bad Steve-O's not around today, as it is a Star Trek theme. "Mr. Sulu, you may..indulge yourself."
LLAMA-STYLE FONDUE IN THE BEARDED-SPOCK UNIVERSE: One Fine Jay hosts this week's Bonfire of the Vanities. (HT to Kevin at Wizbang.)
ASLEEP AT THE SWITCH: Four day week threw me. I should have posted TMQ yesterday. Enjoy it while you can, because football season is down to its last game. Then comes the long, dark, silent waste until Spring Training starts.
THIS WILL KEEP YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT: Kate has a new web design. Kinda creepin' me out.
AND SPEAKING OF TREK: Taranto has been assimilated. We are the Blorg.
Lots of good stuff today at prices so low, we're practically giving it away! Here we go:
PILING ON THE GLASS-JAWED PORCUPINE: He may well surprise everyone and bounce back in the future, but for now, he's the capybara in the piranha stream. Tim Blair is hosting a Mad-Howard-Libs game where YOU get to fill in your own customized geography of conquest. (HT to James Joyner, who I hope is right!) Allah takes it to Mesopotamia. For a multimedia treat, Dave Barry links to Mr. James Lileks' audio cover, the best one I've heard so far.
Meanwhile, NRO's Deanisms Watch is getting funnier all the time. And even Letterman has got into the game.
STATE OF THE DONKEY: We evidently made a slight error the other day that offended our friends over at Flit(TM). The BitchGirls have now identified the current manifestation of the Prince of Darkness.
OKAY, BUT JUST SO LONG AS I DON'T HAVE TO KISS THE DONKEY: Jeff Jarvis identifies a new political alignment.
COLLATERAL DAMAGE: HerrDoktorProfessor gets caught in the shrapnel of Dean's cratering. The Krugman Truth Squad are stalking him again.
TROJAN HORSE CONSERVATISM: Jonah notes that Dubya is no Reagan. I think this is right, but I also think there is something subtle going on. Whether conservatives like it or not, chanting "Abolish the Dept. of Education" or whatever just isn't gonna fly these days. The Big Government Beast is just too big. Rather than futily trying to kill it, Dubya is trying to ride it. But note how he is also planting the seeds for fundamental restructuring of these programs: medical savings accounts, personal retirement accounts, school vouchers, etc. These are small beginnings, but already they are changing the way we think about entitlement programs by introducing public/private cooperation and competition and by giving beneficiaries greater property rights and control. I believe (well, hope) that eventually these ideas will grow in support and momentum until they radically transform the entire system. If Dubya was just shovelling money into the gullet of the status-quo beast, Teddy would have been doing the Moondance last night. But did you see the look on his face?
LLAMA-STYLE FONDUE: Carnival of the Vanities is up over at Poliblogger. Too bad Steve-O's not around today, as it is a Star Trek theme. "Mr. Sulu, you may..indulge yourself."
LLAMA-STYLE FONDUE IN THE BEARDED-SPOCK UNIVERSE: One Fine Jay hosts this week's Bonfire of the Vanities. (HT to Kevin at Wizbang.)
ASLEEP AT THE SWITCH: Four day week threw me. I should have posted TMQ yesterday. Enjoy it while you can, because football season is down to its last game. Then comes the long, dark, silent waste until Spring Training starts.
THIS WILL KEEP YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT: Kate has a new web design. Kinda creepin' me out.
AND SPEAKING OF TREK: Taranto has been assimilated. We are the Blorg.
CON to HELM: COMMENCE DIVING SEQUENCE, FORWARD PLANES TO 25 DEGREES
I'm about to rig for stealth operations which will take me away from the blog pipe until Saturday. Until then, I leave all Vatican bashing, French mocking, and Dean teasing in the trusty hooves of my fellow Llamabutcher Robbo. YIP! YIP! YIP!
YIP! YIP! YIP! from Robbo! Aaaaah, the power is mine! I wonder what this button do-
I'm about to rig for stealth operations which will take me away from the blog pipe until Saturday. Until then, I leave all Vatican bashing, French mocking, and Dean teasing in the trusty hooves of my fellow Llamabutcher Robbo. YIP! YIP! YIP!
YIP! YIP! YIP! from Robbo! Aaaaah, the power is mine! I wonder what this button do-
Oh - NOOOOOOO!!!!!
Mr. Bill gets Barneyfied.
What's next? Mr. Samuri's Neighborhood? (Ed. - Actually, that would be kinda funny.....)
Mr. Bill gets Barneyfied.
What's next? Mr. Samuri's Neighborhood? (Ed. - Actually, that would be kinda funny.....)
Today's Choice Cuts
SOTU POST MORTEM: VDH says Dubya is the Man. Of course, Hanson is no ally of Bush on immigration and he has concerns about domestic spending, but he understands the Big Picture:
Yet the president realizes that his singular leadership in this deadly struggle is such that unease elsewhere with his budget and immigration initiatives must remain for most of us just that — unease. Where the president is great the opposition is pathetic; and where he is on weak ground, they are still weaker — as evidenced by the collective ankle biting of Dean, Clark, and Kerry and the responses of Nancy Pelosi and Tom Daschle.
No surprise, Andrew rails about Bush's marriage stance. Domestic spending excesses are also one of his bugaboos, enough so that he would even reconsider the Democrats. Until he takes a look at the Democrats. Ouch. UPDATE: James Joyner suggests Andrew should calm down a bit.
Mickey Kaus was not that impressed. I wondered about that weird community college line response too. BTW, note in Kaus's piece how piles of rocks are even now being gathered to toss at Kerry's and Edwards' heads.
Dean Esmay says Hillary was the classiest senator on the Dem side. Granted, there's not much competition, but I didn't see it. She looked to me like a walking corpse that hasn't had it's daily brain ration.
Moxie agrees.
Aaannd, the Braniacs at OxBlog do policy and statistics. Bottom line, they saw Bush swinging for the fences, as did I. This was "Go ahead. Make My Day." not "Can't we all just get along?" And why not? It's an election year, fer cryin' out loud.
NON-SOTU SPECIAL: Lileks is being weird in that special, Lilek-y way. Is that a word? It ought to be.
SOTU POST MORTEM: VDH says Dubya is the Man. Of course, Hanson is no ally of Bush on immigration and he has concerns about domestic spending, but he understands the Big Picture:
Yet the president realizes that his singular leadership in this deadly struggle is such that unease elsewhere with his budget and immigration initiatives must remain for most of us just that — unease. Where the president is great the opposition is pathetic; and where he is on weak ground, they are still weaker — as evidenced by the collective ankle biting of Dean, Clark, and Kerry and the responses of Nancy Pelosi and Tom Daschle.
No surprise, Andrew rails about Bush's marriage stance. Domestic spending excesses are also one of his bugaboos, enough so that he would even reconsider the Democrats. Until he takes a look at the Democrats. Ouch. UPDATE: James Joyner suggests Andrew should calm down a bit.
Mickey Kaus was not that impressed. I wondered about that weird community college line response too. BTW, note in Kaus's piece how piles of rocks are even now being gathered to toss at Kerry's and Edwards' heads.
Dean Esmay says Hillary was the classiest senator on the Dem side. Granted, there's not much competition, but I didn't see it. She looked to me like a walking corpse that hasn't had it's daily brain ration.
Moxie agrees.
Aaannd, the Braniacs at OxBlog do policy and statistics. Bottom line, they saw Bush swinging for the fences, as did I. This was "Go ahead. Make My Day." not "Can't we all just get along?" And why not? It's an election year, fer cryin' out loud.
NON-SOTU SPECIAL: Lileks is being weird in that special, Lilek-y way. Is that a word? It ought to be.
Gratuitous Domestic Blog
It's a bit early to gage the reaction to the SOTU speech last night - all the punditistas are still sleeping it off - so we'll do the post mortem later.
Meanwhile, let me tell you about my children......
We are connected with several other families, and two in particular, by godparental relationships. My oldest daughter's godparents have a little boy (we'll call Timmy) who is my wife's godson - that sort of thing. All of these families have small children as well.
This has produced an intense, at times violent, debate between my two older girls about who is whose "godbrother" or "godsister." I have no idea how or why this started. The cycle goes something like this:
A: Timmy is my godbrother.
B: But he's mine, too!
A: No, he's just mine!
B: No, mine!
A. Mine!
(sounds of scuffling)
Mom: Girls! Stop it!
A: But he's my godbrother, not hers!
Mom: Yes, he is. But we can all love him the same.
B: He's my.......
(sounds of renewed scuffling)
Mom: GIRLS!
Dad: Look, Mommy said you can all love him the same. So share. And all of you can call him "Cousin" Timmy. Got it?
A: Yes, Daddy.
B: Yes, Daddy.
A: (sotto voce) But he's really my godbrother....
B: MINE!
And so on......
These debates often take place while I'm getting ready for work. The girls usually come in and snuggle with Mom while I'm showering and shaving. (I can already imagine the warfare and jockeying for space when the third gets old enough to do this.) This morning, after swords had been struck up, it segued in an unusual direction:
A: Mommy, did you always want three children?
Mom: Why, of course I did.
A: Did God grant you your wish?
Mom: Yes, Sweety.
(pause)
A: Mommy, when we were little babies, did we come out of your bottom?
Dad (Offstage): Danger, Will Robinson!
Mom: Well, you came out of my tummy in a special way.
A: Oh. Mommy, did God make us in your tummy?
Mom: Yes, with Daddy's help. I couldn't have had you without Daddy.
A (calling offstage): Daddy, how did you help Mommy make us?
Dad (still offstage): (Sotto voce) Uh oh. (Calling) Well, it's kind of complicated. When you're old enough, you'll understand.
A: Okay.
Total punt, but sometimes that's the right thing to do. Just because the child asks you a question doesn't mean you have to give a straight answer.
As I've said before, I live for this stuff.
It's a bit early to gage the reaction to the SOTU speech last night - all the punditistas are still sleeping it off - so we'll do the post mortem later.
Meanwhile, let me tell you about my children......
We are connected with several other families, and two in particular, by godparental relationships. My oldest daughter's godparents have a little boy (we'll call Timmy) who is my wife's godson - that sort of thing. All of these families have small children as well.
This has produced an intense, at times violent, debate between my two older girls about who is whose "godbrother" or "godsister." I have no idea how or why this started. The cycle goes something like this:
A: Timmy is my godbrother.
B: But he's mine, too!
A: No, he's just mine!
B: No, mine!
A. Mine!
(sounds of scuffling)
Mom: Girls! Stop it!
A: But he's my godbrother, not hers!
Mom: Yes, he is. But we can all love him the same.
B: He's my.......
(sounds of renewed scuffling)
Mom: GIRLS!
Dad: Look, Mommy said you can all love him the same. So share. And all of you can call him "Cousin" Timmy. Got it?
A: Yes, Daddy.
B: Yes, Daddy.
A: (sotto voce) But he's really my godbrother....
B: MINE!
And so on......
These debates often take place while I'm getting ready for work. The girls usually come in and snuggle with Mom while I'm showering and shaving. (I can already imagine the warfare and jockeying for space when the third gets old enough to do this.) This morning, after swords had been struck up, it segued in an unusual direction:
A: Mommy, did you always want three children?
Mom: Why, of course I did.
A: Did God grant you your wish?
Mom: Yes, Sweety.
(pause)
A: Mommy, when we were little babies, did we come out of your bottom?
Dad (Offstage): Danger, Will Robinson!
Mom: Well, you came out of my tummy in a special way.
A: Oh. Mommy, did God make us in your tummy?
Mom: Yes, with Daddy's help. I couldn't have had you without Daddy.
A (calling offstage): Daddy, how did you help Mommy make us?
Dad (still offstage): (Sotto voce) Uh oh. (Calling) Well, it's kind of complicated. When you're old enough, you'll understand.
A: Okay.
Total punt, but sometimes that's the right thing to do. Just because the child asks you a question doesn't mean you have to give a straight answer.
As I've said before, I live for this stuff.
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
Isn't that how they got into trouble in the first place?
Maybe it's just me, but this story in the Guardian needed a headline that's a little bit more specific.
Maybe it's just me, but this story in the Guardian needed a headline that's a little bit more specific.
FRANCE TO SANTA: DROP DEAD
The Sydney Morning Herald has an interesting piece on the France's valiant new front on the war against terror: now they want to ban beards grown as signs of faith.
I guess this is the sophisticated, subtle, and effective type of policy-making our simpliste cowboy-president is incapable of....
The Sydney Morning Herald has an interesting piece on the France's valiant new front on the war against terror: now they want to ban beards grown as signs of faith.
I guess this is the sophisticated, subtle, and effective type of policy-making our simpliste cowboy-president is incapable of....
A now for something completely different
Two interesting articles in Foreign Affairs worth taking a gander at: Colin Powell's article on the preemption doctrine and Kenneth Roth's piece on the Law of War in the War on Terror.
EXTRA CREDIT: This piece in Parameters by Donald Chisholm "The Risk of Optimism in the Conduct of War."
Two interesting articles in Foreign Affairs worth taking a gander at: Colin Powell's article on the preemption doctrine and Kenneth Roth's piece on the Law of War in the War on Terror.
EXTRA CREDIT: This piece in Parameters by Donald Chisholm "The Risk of Optimism in the Conduct of War."
Kick AAAAAASSS!!!
Okay, okay, I couldn't resist watching the SOTU speech. And I'm kinda glad. I don't pretend to be an aficionado of Dubya's public oratory, but goddam, the man looked confident, energetic, in control and, can I say it (Ed. - yeah, go ahead) Presidential. So far as I can tell, he didn't back off on a single issue, but went after all of them - defense, security, economy, education, health, kids, marriage, with gusto. Whoa, Nelly! I particularly liked his direct challenges to Congress to follow through on his initiatives.
Favorite moment came early on. Dubya mentioned that several provisions of the Patriot Act were scheduled to sunset next year. This prompted spontanious applause from a big group of Dem back-benchers. Dubya fixed those folks with a half-smile and a gleam in his eye that plainly said "F**k you" and went on to say (I'm paraphrasing) "The threat of terrorism will not not expire on that date." Heh, indeed. Oh, and his list of members of the Coalition of the Willing, that he had to suspend for applause and then pick up again. I turned to the wife and said, "That's a F**k you, France" moment. Additional heh!
Overall message: You're either with me or against me. If you're against me, you'd better have one hell of a good reason why." This was not the speech of a man hoping to nurse a lead until the elections blow over. It was the speech of a man eager to mix it up, to get down and dirty. It was a direct challenge to his opponents: Go ahead. Make my day.
Suhweeeet!
Other minor observations: Ted Kennedy, who was picked up by Fox's cameras several times, looked like the boozy old uncle who this year, dear, we really need to do something about...... On the other hand, Hillary looked as if she had been just been fished out of the river after several days. And was Charlie Rangel really asleep? Or just deep in thought?
UPDATE: Stephen Green does play by play. I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest the Martini Man is getting too wrapped up in the trees (i.e., the individual domestic initiatives) to see the forest. Sure, who the hell (honestly) cares about steroids? But step back and look at the overall tone (see above). That is what people are really going to focus on. And that is why it is a good speech.
FURTHER UPDATE: As of 10:52 EST, Andrew has not weighed in, but I'll bet he's going to have a hissy fit about Dubya's defense of marriage remarks. The question is, will he remember Dubya's words about compassion and respect for all human beings? Or will he assume all Conservatives now feel free to tie gays to fence posts and beat them to death? Stay tuned.....
FURTHER FURTHER UPDATE: I did not hang around for the Dem rebuttal. What the hell do I care what Nancy Pelosi thinks? But Glenn says it's pretty lame.
Obviously, more stuff in the morning. And now, to bed......
YIPS from Steve---State of the Union? Tonight? Oh right, the one I assigned my students to watch......
BONUS "I REALLY NEED TO GO TO BED" UPDATE: James Joyner is on the case. He seems to have TiVo'd the thing, so it's possible that his, shall we say, visceral impressions are somewhat skewed. These things are pitched for broad-brush appeal, not microanalysis. I was more interested in the overall tone, rather than any given fiddly domestic initiative. And, as I say, there was NO backing down by Dubya.
Oh, and I guess Harry Reid's dreams of command will have to be placed on hold.
"NO, REALLY, DEAR, I'LL BE DONE IN A MINUTE," UPDATE: Go see The Corner for additional reaction. It appears Mad Howard had his response typed up weeks ago, 'cos it sure doesn't have anything to do with what I heard tonight.
Okay, okay, I couldn't resist watching the SOTU speech. And I'm kinda glad. I don't pretend to be an aficionado of Dubya's public oratory, but goddam, the man looked confident, energetic, in control and, can I say it (Ed. - yeah, go ahead) Presidential. So far as I can tell, he didn't back off on a single issue, but went after all of them - defense, security, economy, education, health, kids, marriage, with gusto. Whoa, Nelly! I particularly liked his direct challenges to Congress to follow through on his initiatives.
Favorite moment came early on. Dubya mentioned that several provisions of the Patriot Act were scheduled to sunset next year. This prompted spontanious applause from a big group of Dem back-benchers. Dubya fixed those folks with a half-smile and a gleam in his eye that plainly said "F**k you" and went on to say (I'm paraphrasing) "The threat of terrorism will not not expire on that date." Heh, indeed. Oh, and his list of members of the Coalition of the Willing, that he had to suspend for applause and then pick up again. I turned to the wife and said, "That's a F**k you, France" moment. Additional heh!
Overall message: You're either with me or against me. If you're against me, you'd better have one hell of a good reason why." This was not the speech of a man hoping to nurse a lead until the elections blow over. It was the speech of a man eager to mix it up, to get down and dirty. It was a direct challenge to his opponents: Go ahead. Make my day.
Suhweeeet!
Other minor observations: Ted Kennedy, who was picked up by Fox's cameras several times, looked like the boozy old uncle who this year, dear, we really need to do something about...... On the other hand, Hillary looked as if she had been just been fished out of the river after several days. And was Charlie Rangel really asleep? Or just deep in thought?
UPDATE: Stephen Green does play by play. I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest the Martini Man is getting too wrapped up in the trees (i.e., the individual domestic initiatives) to see the forest. Sure, who the hell (honestly) cares about steroids? But step back and look at the overall tone (see above). That is what people are really going to focus on. And that is why it is a good speech.
FURTHER UPDATE: As of 10:52 EST, Andrew has not weighed in, but I'll bet he's going to have a hissy fit about Dubya's defense of marriage remarks. The question is, will he remember Dubya's words about compassion and respect for all human beings? Or will he assume all Conservatives now feel free to tie gays to fence posts and beat them to death? Stay tuned.....
FURTHER FURTHER UPDATE: I did not hang around for the Dem rebuttal. What the hell do I care what Nancy Pelosi thinks? But Glenn says it's pretty lame.
Obviously, more stuff in the morning. And now, to bed......
YIPS from Steve---State of the Union? Tonight? Oh right, the one I assigned my students to watch......
BONUS "I REALLY NEED TO GO TO BED" UPDATE: James Joyner is on the case. He seems to have TiVo'd the thing, so it's possible that his, shall we say, visceral impressions are somewhat skewed. These things are pitched for broad-brush appeal, not microanalysis. I was more interested in the overall tone, rather than any given fiddly domestic initiative. And, as I say, there was NO backing down by Dubya.
Oh, and I guess Harry Reid's dreams of command will have to be placed on hold.
"NO, REALLY, DEAR, I'LL BE DONE IN A MINUTE," UPDATE: Go see The Corner for additional reaction. It appears Mad Howard had his response typed up weeks ago, 'cos it sure doesn't have anything to do with what I heard tonight.
SOTU
Dunno whether I'm going to bother watching tonight. Unless he announces a secret marriage with Liza Minelli, I can't think of much that Dubya is going to say that would really surprise me. On the other hand, this is more or less the opening shot of his national reelection campaign, so it would be interesting to see his performance. Also the reaction from the Dems and the swarming clouds of pundits. As I recollect, last year Hillary forgot that the cameras were dogging her and got caught pulling several Wicked Witch of the West scowls. Hopefully, she's learned her lesson by now. Probably everyone will focus on Teddy instead, hoping he'll start a little "Liar! Liar! Pants on Fire!" sack dance.
Eh. I'll probably let Steve-O watch and read the transcript and reactions in the morning.
In the meantime, James Joyner notes that if the Bad Guys manage to pull off something really big, the future of our country will be left in capable hands.
Dunno whether I'm going to bother watching tonight. Unless he announces a secret marriage with Liza Minelli, I can't think of much that Dubya is going to say that would really surprise me. On the other hand, this is more or less the opening shot of his national reelection campaign, so it would be interesting to see his performance. Also the reaction from the Dems and the swarming clouds of pundits. As I recollect, last year Hillary forgot that the cameras were dogging her and got caught pulling several Wicked Witch of the West scowls. Hopefully, she's learned her lesson by now. Probably everyone will focus on Teddy instead, hoping he'll start a little "Liar! Liar! Pants on Fire!" sack dance.
Eh. I'll probably let Steve-O watch and read the transcript and reactions in the morning.
In the meantime, James Joyner notes that if the Bad Guys manage to pull off something really big, the future of our country will be left in capable hands.
Now You've Done It, Steve!
Here I am, sweating myself to the bone trying to provide a variety of choice cuts and appetizing delicacies to our readers, and you go and piss off this guy.
I must say, I still don't think he gets the humor. Must not be a Seinfeld fan. Seriously, pal, it's a joke!
(OTOH, HT to TMLutas, for linking the whole thing and providing the correct link on the whole name thing. I didn't see where that one was going either. Correct link provided LOL moment.)
YIPS from Steve---I think the reason why it resonated with me was that I had just picked The Name of the Rose off the shelf the night before, after a heavy couple of days immersing myself in the late medieval constitutional development of the Holy See leading to the legal theory of conquest articulated by Innocent IV. And just before class, there I found myself, on the Vatican website, looking for a portrait of Innocent to show the kiddies [lookie---America's least known founding father!], and there it was.....the most bizarre thing I ever saw.
YIPS from Steve on the link--apparently I was comitting bandwith theft! Yikes! Won't do that again.
YIPS back from Robbo - I love you, man!
Here I am, sweating myself to the bone trying to provide a variety of choice cuts and appetizing delicacies to our readers, and you go and piss off this guy.
I must say, I still don't think he gets the humor. Must not be a Seinfeld fan. Seriously, pal, it's a joke!
(OTOH, HT to TMLutas, for linking the whole thing and providing the correct link on the whole name thing. I didn't see where that one was going either. Correct link provided LOL moment.)
YIPS from Steve---I think the reason why it resonated with me was that I had just picked The Name of the Rose off the shelf the night before, after a heavy couple of days immersing myself in the late medieval constitutional development of the Holy See leading to the legal theory of conquest articulated by Innocent IV. And just before class, there I found myself, on the Vatican website, looking for a portrait of Innocent to show the kiddies [lookie---America's least known founding father!], and there it was.....the most bizarre thing I ever saw.
YIPS from Steve on the link--apparently I was comitting bandwith theft! Yikes! Won't do that again.
YIPS back from Robbo - I love you, man!
Gratuitous Brit-Lit Post
Little Miss Attila has a link to a little test to find out which work of fiction best suits you. (Just scroll down a bit.) Sorry, Steve-O, no Calvin & Hobbes choices available. Heh.
True to form, I was pegged as an Austen character. Unfortunately, the test has a limited pool of possible results, so it tossed me into Pride & Prejudice. I am certainly no Mr. D'Arcy, although given that I have three daughters there is a steady stream of Mr. Bennett jokes 'round the house. As a matter of fact, the Butcher's Wife, who has certain traits very much in common with Emma Woodhouse often refers to me as Mr. Knightly. I'll certainly take that.
YIPS from Steve: Just my luck----I came out as Lord Cucaface.
YIPS back from Robbo: Heh, indeed. My gels take a ghoulish interest in what might have happened to Madeline had Genevieve not saved her. Prob'ly would have wound up looking like Hillary watching the SOTU speech tonight. Snark.
Little Miss Attila has a link to a little test to find out which work of fiction best suits you. (Just scroll down a bit.) Sorry, Steve-O, no Calvin & Hobbes choices available. Heh.
True to form, I was pegged as an Austen character. Unfortunately, the test has a limited pool of possible results, so it tossed me into Pride & Prejudice. I am certainly no Mr. D'Arcy, although given that I have three daughters there is a steady stream of Mr. Bennett jokes 'round the house. As a matter of fact, the Butcher's Wife, who has certain traits very much in common with Emma Woodhouse often refers to me as Mr. Knightly. I'll certainly take that.
YIPS from Steve: Just my luck----I came out as Lord Cucaface.
YIPS back from Robbo: Heh, indeed. My gels take a ghoulish interest in what might have happened to Madeline had Genevieve not saved her. Prob'ly would have wound up looking like Hillary watching the SOTU speech tonight. Snark.
Public Service Announcement
Frank J. wants to know the best way to render Mad Howard's Howl of last night into written English. Go here to offer your thoughts.
I'd be curious to know how such a noise could be reproduced under laboratory conditions in a manner that wouldn't cause these guys to firebomb the place.
Frank J. wants to know the best way to render Mad Howard's Howl of last night into written English. Go here to offer your thoughts.
I'd be curious to know how such a noise could be reproduced under laboratory conditions in a manner that wouldn't cause these guys to firebomb the place.
Today's After 3:00 PM Half-Price Specials
PUNDITS FOR DEAN: The apparent Dean Implosion has both Allah and Frank J worried that a mine of humor is about to be permanently sealed. Vote for Dean! Save our source material! On the other hand, the BitchGirls think Dean actually had a Churchillian Moment last night. Perhaps they're trying to prod him into saying "YYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEAHHHHHHHRRRGGGGGG!!!!" again.
STATE OF THE DONKEY: Terry McCauliffe is sniffing paint fumes again. And Hugh really wonders how the Dems got where they are? Jane Galt has some water cooler intel. Meanwhile, Happy Fun Pundit has a great idea. Heh.
WILL THE NEXT FRONT-RUNNER PLEASE INSERT HIS HEAD HERE: Mickey Kaus is already throwing rocks at Kerry. But I like what he says about the Raines Fallacy. 'S true.
LONG-HAIRED HIPPIE CRAP: Martini Boy has a link to the Daily Ablution's coverage of the World Social Forum. This reminds me very much of P.J. O'Rourke's coverage of the Rio Earth Summit here.
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: Venemous Kate is on one of her Snark Hunts. Wear your Orange.
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING JUST FARK: Well, if you like LOTR and if you like cars, you'll probably like this. Have a few beers first.
READER BLEG: No link here. I have a note that says, as near as I can make out, "Swithy hufal." If you think you can decipher it, please email!
TARANTO ASSIMILATION STATUS: Resistence is futile. We are the Blorg.
PUNDITS FOR DEAN: The apparent Dean Implosion has both Allah and Frank J worried that a mine of humor is about to be permanently sealed. Vote for Dean! Save our source material! On the other hand, the BitchGirls think Dean actually had a Churchillian Moment last night. Perhaps they're trying to prod him into saying "YYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEAHHHHHHHRRRGGGGGG!!!!" again.
STATE OF THE DONKEY: Terry McCauliffe is sniffing paint fumes again. And Hugh really wonders how the Dems got where they are? Jane Galt has some water cooler intel. Meanwhile, Happy Fun Pundit has a great idea. Heh.
WILL THE NEXT FRONT-RUNNER PLEASE INSERT HIS HEAD HERE: Mickey Kaus is already throwing rocks at Kerry. But I like what he says about the Raines Fallacy. 'S true.
LONG-HAIRED HIPPIE CRAP: Martini Boy has a link to the Daily Ablution's coverage of the World Social Forum. This reminds me very much of P.J. O'Rourke's coverage of the Rio Earth Summit here.
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: Venemous Kate is on one of her Snark Hunts. Wear your Orange.
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING JUST FARK: Well, if you like LOTR and if you like cars, you'll probably like this. Have a few beers first.
READER BLEG: No link here. I have a note that says, as near as I can make out, "Swithy hufal." If you think you can decipher it, please email!
TARANTO ASSIMILATION STATUS: Resistence is futile. We are the Blorg.
Vatican bashing generates mail! Who knew?
Today's letter from the fetid mail sack at the Llama Lair: Subject line---"Lighten up on the Vatican"
Lutas (is that really is name? or is it someone...else) is in a huff over yesterday's posting about what I thought was the most bizarre webpage on the internet, the homepage for the Secret Archive of the Vatican Library.
He seems to think I was making fun of the fact that when you go to the page there isn't anything really there. I wasn't making fun of that, per se, more of the idea that the Secret Archive would have a webpage in the first place. Maybe it's just me, but that sort of defeats the concept, doesn't it? Sure, the web is full of some pretty bizarre stuff that I'll never understand--Amish porn, cockroach racing, Dean for America, etc. But the Vatican Secret Archives online? Puh-leeze.
Today's letter from the fetid mail sack at the Llama Lair: Subject line---"Lighten up on the Vatican"
The web site is obviously still under construction. The page you hit
was not completed. Just click on one of the left side links (not the
book) and you'll get something a little more conventional.
If you think that's the most bizarre page, you've led an extremely
sheltered life.
Lutas (is that really is name? or is it someone...else) is in a huff over yesterday's posting about what I thought was the most bizarre webpage on the internet, the homepage for the Secret Archive of the Vatican Library.
He seems to think I was making fun of the fact that when you go to the page there isn't anything really there. I wasn't making fun of that, per se, more of the idea that the Secret Archive would have a webpage in the first place. Maybe it's just me, but that sort of defeats the concept, doesn't it? Sure, the web is full of some pretty bizarre stuff that I'll never understand--Amish porn, cockroach racing, Dean for America, etc. But the Vatican Secret Archives online? Puh-leeze.
Gratuitous "Yeah, What They Said" Fisking
I meant to jump all over this WaPo article this weekend, but cabin fever is setting in at La Casa Del Llamas and I didn't get much more than five minutes of uninterupt- Where did you get that marker? And Why are you using it as eye-liner on your sister!!! -
Sorry. Anyway, both Den Beste and Glenn have done it for me.
I meant to jump all over this WaPo article this weekend, but cabin fever is setting in at La Casa Del Llamas and I didn't get much more than five minutes of uninterupt- Where did you get that marker? And Why are you using it as eye-liner on your sister!!! -
Sorry. Anyway, both Den Beste and Glenn have done it for me.
Gratuitous Recycled LOTR-Bashing
I exchanged some nice compliments with John over at Texasbestgrok over the weekend. One of the subjects we mentioned was Tolkien, and he put up a perfectly defensible post on why he liked the LOTR movies, as movies. For my part, I simply can't watch the movies without comparing them to the books, so am incapable of judging them solely on their cinematic merit. We'll just have to agree to disagree.
Anyway, for the amusement of TBG and the rest of you who have started to read our little screed over the past month or two, and taking advantage of an opening in Blogger's bug-prone archive window, I here repost one of my very first entries from way back in November. Enjoy:
I have absolutely no proof that the following conversation took place. However, I am morally certain that it did:
"Simpkins!"
"Yes, Mr. Jackson?"
"Simpkins! Mate, we've got to discuss this character treatment of yours."
"Er, yes, Mr. Jackson - what about it?"
"Right. Look, mate, I told you off to do Gimli, right?"
"Yes, Mr. Jackson."
"Okay, so who is this Gloin guy? You give me five freekin pages of dialogue between him and Frodo at Rivendell. I mean, it reads like My Dinner With Andre, right?"
"Well, Mr. Jackson, Gloin was Gimli's father. He was also one of the thirteen dwarves who went with Bilbo to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from Smaug in The Hobbit. You know, where Bilbo finds the Ring? His conversation with Frodo is important because it both ties the stories together and also gives the audience an overall vision of the strategic situation east of the Misty Mountains. You'll see, Sir, that Gloin is also the Dwarves' representative at Elrond's council and reports that Black Riders are looking for Bilbo and the Ring."
"Wake me when it's over...."
"Sir?"
"Look, mate. First, I've already got a bunch of dwarves fighting each other and the elves at the council. It's a very significant moment in my vision."
"But Sir, Gloin was the only one there in the book. And nobody fought with anybody else."
"F**k the book. Right. And for the tie-in thing, I've already got that covered in the prologue, right? I mean, I'm not paying Cate Winslet all that money for nothing, am I?"
"No, Sir."
"Right, and this dinner thing at Rivendell. Screw it. Would take ten minutes. How the hell can I find room for that and keep Liv Tyler's "Xena" chase with the Black Riders?"
"Well, about that, Sir....."
"Right. Now look, mate. LOTR is a very wonderful and meaningful vision of mine, right? So I need you to be realy respectful of that. Now, we have a problem with Gimli."
"Sir?"
"See, we have these big hunky Men, right? Audience will love 'em. And we got that dude playing Legolas, you know, the one who looks kinda like di Caprio on steroids? They'll be all over him. But Gimli is, well, not really eye-candy. Know what I mean, mate?"
"Well, Sir, it's interesting because Tolkein really went out of his way to explore the dwarves in some detail - their origins and so on, and to show how and why they were so different from Elves and Men. There is a lot of source material in The Silmarillion and...."
"Simpkins?"
"Sir?"
"I don't give a pair of fetid dingo's kidneys for the Simil-whatever. Audiences don't care. How can I bring my wonderful and meaningful vision of LOTR to the screen in a meaningful and caring way if I can't connect with the audience?"
"Well. Sir..."
"Shut up. I'll tell you how. The dwarf isn't sexy, right? Can't do anything about that. I mean, dwarves are, well, YOU know..... Anyway. So what we want is something that's going to connect with the audience. Something that makes them think "Oh, that's a dwarf. I know about them. I like them!" So what you need to do is write something into the story that is going to cause that connection. And I've got just the thing for you. (Don't know why I pay these blokes when I have to do all the thinking myself.)"
"Yes, Sir?"
"Two words: Dwarf tossing."
"Sir?"
"Dwarf tossing."
"Sir?"
"Goddamit, mate, are you deaf? Put in something about dwarf tossing, right? Audiences will love that! Kind of a comic relief thing. Maybe when they're running around in that big cave thing. That'll really get them into it - and let them share my wonderful and meaning vision of what LOTR means in terms they can relate to. So you put it in. Got that? Dwarf tossing!"
(Sadly) "Yes, Sir."
And the rest, as they say, is history.
I exchanged some nice compliments with John over at Texasbestgrok over the weekend. One of the subjects we mentioned was Tolkien, and he put up a perfectly defensible post on why he liked the LOTR movies, as movies. For my part, I simply can't watch the movies without comparing them to the books, so am incapable of judging them solely on their cinematic merit. We'll just have to agree to disagree.
Anyway, for the amusement of TBG and the rest of you who have started to read our little screed over the past month or two, and taking advantage of an opening in Blogger's bug-prone archive window, I here repost one of my very first entries from way back in November. Enjoy:
I have absolutely no proof that the following conversation took place. However, I am morally certain that it did:
"Simpkins!"
"Yes, Mr. Jackson?"
"Simpkins! Mate, we've got to discuss this character treatment of yours."
"Er, yes, Mr. Jackson - what about it?"
"Right. Look, mate, I told you off to do Gimli, right?"
"Yes, Mr. Jackson."
"Okay, so who is this Gloin guy? You give me five freekin pages of dialogue between him and Frodo at Rivendell. I mean, it reads like My Dinner With Andre, right?"
"Well, Mr. Jackson, Gloin was Gimli's father. He was also one of the thirteen dwarves who went with Bilbo to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from Smaug in The Hobbit. You know, where Bilbo finds the Ring? His conversation with Frodo is important because it both ties the stories together and also gives the audience an overall vision of the strategic situation east of the Misty Mountains. You'll see, Sir, that Gloin is also the Dwarves' representative at Elrond's council and reports that Black Riders are looking for Bilbo and the Ring."
"Wake me when it's over...."
"Sir?"
"Look, mate. First, I've already got a bunch of dwarves fighting each other and the elves at the council. It's a very significant moment in my vision."
"But Sir, Gloin was the only one there in the book. And nobody fought with anybody else."
"F**k the book. Right. And for the tie-in thing, I've already got that covered in the prologue, right? I mean, I'm not paying Cate Winslet all that money for nothing, am I?"
"No, Sir."
"Right, and this dinner thing at Rivendell. Screw it. Would take ten minutes. How the hell can I find room for that and keep Liv Tyler's "Xena" chase with the Black Riders?"
"Well, about that, Sir....."
"Right. Now look, mate. LOTR is a very wonderful and meaningful vision of mine, right? So I need you to be realy respectful of that. Now, we have a problem with Gimli."
"Sir?"
"See, we have these big hunky Men, right? Audience will love 'em. And we got that dude playing Legolas, you know, the one who looks kinda like di Caprio on steroids? They'll be all over him. But Gimli is, well, not really eye-candy. Know what I mean, mate?"
"Well, Sir, it's interesting because Tolkein really went out of his way to explore the dwarves in some detail - their origins and so on, and to show how and why they were so different from Elves and Men. There is a lot of source material in The Silmarillion and...."
"Simpkins?"
"Sir?"
"I don't give a pair of fetid dingo's kidneys for the Simil-whatever. Audiences don't care. How can I bring my wonderful and meaningful vision of LOTR to the screen in a meaningful and caring way if I can't connect with the audience?"
"Well. Sir..."
"Shut up. I'll tell you how. The dwarf isn't sexy, right? Can't do anything about that. I mean, dwarves are, well, YOU know..... Anyway. So what we want is something that's going to connect with the audience. Something that makes them think "Oh, that's a dwarf. I know about them. I like them!" So what you need to do is write something into the story that is going to cause that connection. And I've got just the thing for you. (Don't know why I pay these blokes when I have to do all the thinking myself.)"
"Yes, Sir?"
"Two words: Dwarf tossing."
"Sir?"
"Dwarf tossing."
"Sir?"
"Goddamit, mate, are you deaf? Put in something about dwarf tossing, right? Audiences will love that! Kind of a comic relief thing. Maybe when they're running around in that big cave thing. That'll really get them into it - and let them share my wonderful and meaning vision of what LOTR means in terms they can relate to. So you put it in. Got that? Dwarf tossing!"
(Sadly) "Yes, Sir."
And the rest, as they say, is history.
WWTALD?
Steve-O again brings up an interesting prospect, namely, the possibility that the Wallace/Latte crown might well bolt the Party if Dean (and Clark) flame out. I continue to believe that whoever the Dem nominee turns out to be, support from these folks is going to be crucial in November.
Aside from Dean and Clark, none of the other Democratic nominees to date have really gone after this bloc on their pet issue, namely opposition to the Iraqi War. Kerry has come closest, but his own voting inconsistencies may prevent too many of these people from warming up to him. Lieberman, of course, has already flipped them the Big Bird and Edwards, so far as I know, has pretty much stayed out of it.
So what will these guys do? Even after the primaries are over and a candidate is chosen, there is absolutely no guarantee the Angry Left will fall in behind any of them. Instead, they will have to be won over. But how to do it? Inflamed "Bush Lied!" rhetoric seems to be the answer. At the same time, the Dems also are going to have to pitch hard to independents and swing-voters, most of whom support Bush's war record. This seems to me to be a real trap. And I'm not sure whether a Dean 3rd Party run changes the equation that much. If he does a Bull Moose, the Dems will have to lure voters away from him. If not, the Dems will still have to excite these people just to get them to turn out at all, rather than sitting on their hands in disgust.
Even if Dean turns in his portfolio tomorrow, he has already permanently altered the face of this campaign by organzing, galvanizing and polarizing a large, passionate bloc of voters, who are Mad As Hell and Aren't Going To Take It Any More. The Dems are going to have to deal with these folks one way or another. Should be interesting to watch.
UPDATE: Stanley Kurtz agrees.
Steve-O again brings up an interesting prospect, namely, the possibility that the Wallace/Latte crown might well bolt the Party if Dean (and Clark) flame out. I continue to believe that whoever the Dem nominee turns out to be, support from these folks is going to be crucial in November.
Aside from Dean and Clark, none of the other Democratic nominees to date have really gone after this bloc on their pet issue, namely opposition to the Iraqi War. Kerry has come closest, but his own voting inconsistencies may prevent too many of these people from warming up to him. Lieberman, of course, has already flipped them the Big Bird and Edwards, so far as I know, has pretty much stayed out of it.
So what will these guys do? Even after the primaries are over and a candidate is chosen, there is absolutely no guarantee the Angry Left will fall in behind any of them. Instead, they will have to be won over. But how to do it? Inflamed "Bush Lied!" rhetoric seems to be the answer. At the same time, the Dems also are going to have to pitch hard to independents and swing-voters, most of whom support Bush's war record. This seems to me to be a real trap. And I'm not sure whether a Dean 3rd Party run changes the equation that much. If he does a Bull Moose, the Dems will have to lure voters away from him. If not, the Dems will still have to excite these people just to get them to turn out at all, rather than sitting on their hands in disgust.
Even if Dean turns in his portfolio tomorrow, he has already permanently altered the face of this campaign by organzing, galvanizing and polarizing a large, passionate bloc of voters, who are Mad As Hell and Aren't Going To Take It Any More. The Dems are going to have to deal with these folks one way or another. Should be interesting to watch.
UPDATE: Stanley Kurtz agrees.
What do the bookies say?
At Christmas, the futures contracts at British bookie house TradeSports for the likelihood of Dean being the Democratic nominee were trading in the high 60s, after hitting a peak of $70.8 right before Saddam's capture. [The way these types of contracts work is that if the event happens, the contract is worth $100, if it doesn't, it's worth 0.] Yesterday, they closed at $49, and this morning the market opened at $29. Kerry futures, which were trading for as low as $2 a contract a few weeks ago, opened this morning at $37.9 (an increase of 17%); however, most of the interest has been in people "ask" ["sell"] contracts, ie thinking that he won't win the nomination. Edwards futures have bounced up to $15 (up 11% over yesterday), but are evenly paced between people bidding [ie buying, thinking he's going to win] and asking [ie selling, thinking he's going to lose]. The Hillary contract hasn't moved [it's down at around $3], as is Joe Lieberman, who is down at $2. Want to bet for/against Clark? The "field" contract [anyone other than the named people, which Clark is included with since he joined the race after the Nov 8 02 start of the market] peaked at $34 last week, but is down to $19, with traffic evenly spread for/against. What does this mean? The punters are hedging their bets, literally, hoping to make some quick money off the Kerry surge but not putting much support behind any of the other candidates. Who is the big winner, to the English betting public? Not necessarily President Bush--his reelect contract hasn't moved, staying right around $70 a contract, lower than the $75 right after the capture of Saddam but much higher than the $58 a contract before the fall of Baghdad.
So far my initial hunch is working out: the futures markets pointed to the fall of Dean before the polls. The key as we start to move to the general election phase in six weeks is to begin to track the contract markets for each of the states [phrased as a GWBush will win X state, buy if you think he will, sell if you think he won't] as a means to develop a solid electoral college prediction beyond what national polling can do.
UPDATE: How real is this market? By my eyeball counting, they've traded almost 500,000 contracts on these political markets; so far this week, they've trade about 40,000 contracts on the Super Bowl. That's a lot of volume.
At Christmas, the futures contracts at British bookie house TradeSports for the likelihood of Dean being the Democratic nominee were trading in the high 60s, after hitting a peak of $70.8 right before Saddam's capture. [The way these types of contracts work is that if the event happens, the contract is worth $100, if it doesn't, it's worth 0.] Yesterday, they closed at $49, and this morning the market opened at $29. Kerry futures, which were trading for as low as $2 a contract a few weeks ago, opened this morning at $37.9 (an increase of 17%); however, most of the interest has been in people "ask" ["sell"] contracts, ie thinking that he won't win the nomination. Edwards futures have bounced up to $15 (up 11% over yesterday), but are evenly paced between people bidding [ie buying, thinking he's going to win] and asking [ie selling, thinking he's going to lose]. The Hillary contract hasn't moved [it's down at around $3], as is Joe Lieberman, who is down at $2. Want to bet for/against Clark? The "field" contract [anyone other than the named people, which Clark is included with since he joined the race after the Nov 8 02 start of the market] peaked at $34 last week, but is down to $19, with traffic evenly spread for/against. What does this mean? The punters are hedging their bets, literally, hoping to make some quick money off the Kerry surge but not putting much support behind any of the other candidates. Who is the big winner, to the English betting public? Not necessarily President Bush--his reelect contract hasn't moved, staying right around $70 a contract, lower than the $75 right after the capture of Saddam but much higher than the $58 a contract before the fall of Baghdad.
So far my initial hunch is working out: the futures markets pointed to the fall of Dean before the polls. The key as we start to move to the general election phase in six weeks is to begin to track the contract markets for each of the states [phrased as a GWBush will win X state, buy if you think he will, sell if you think he won't] as a means to develop a solid electoral college prediction beyond what national polling can do.
UPDATE: How real is this market? By my eyeball counting, they've traded almost 500,000 contracts on these political markets; so far this week, they've trade about 40,000 contracts on the Super Bowl. That's a lot of volume.
The vultures circle slowly...
There are two types of dirt in political reporting, that which you dig up on a candidate, and that which you use to toss on their political coffin as its lowered into the ground. The dirt the good doctor is feeling today is the latter: one can almost read the glee with which this report in the WaPo was filed.
Is it premature to pronounce the Dean Crusade dead? Absolutely. As I wrote the other day, there's nothing that indicates "quitter" about this man. But anything less than a first place finish in New Hampshire is deadly for his prospects because 1) he was the frontrunner there and B) it's his backyard. Seriously, though, I have a feeling Dave Matthews' latest song isn't a fan favorite at the Dean HQ this morning as they read this piece in the Manchester Union Leader. The key graf:
The odds that the latte/piercing version of George Wallace's movement bolting from the party have ratcheted up enormously.
The real significance of the victories yesterday for Kerry and Edwards is that they won far away from their home turf: Dean not only has to win New Hampshire, but he also has to win convincingly in a state outside of his comfort zone--somewhere in the south or the west to prove that he can win outside of the WholeFoods/tofu/latte belt. Edwards and Kerry have that ticket punched, and can now focus on trying to run up the score in their neighborhood--ie New Hampshire and South Carolina. What must Kerry do? Keep Ted Kennedy's head away from as many tv cameras as possible.
What about General Clark? I think he's the next one to implode, for some of the same reasons that Dean did. First, his intemperate manner and record is starting to buckle under the intense scrutiny of the real season: his completely mixed message on the war is just a train wreck waiting to happen. Second, he's been following the lead of the good doctor and relying lately on a lot of "high profile" endorsements to give him credibility with the party establishment. If the Gore endorsement was the touch of death to the Dean movement [eerily reminiscent of this excellent William Macy movie], what will the endorsements of George McGovern and Michael Moore do for Clark? George freaking McGovern? Is he out of his mind appearing on the same stage with GEORGE MCGOVERN?
The first real drop out from the race is Dick Gephardt, who has matured into quite a class act. It's odd, but I think leaving his leadership post in the House led to a maturity in his tone and message that is rather pleasant [in a way for example that Newt Gingrich never has attained].
There are two types of dirt in political reporting, that which you dig up on a candidate, and that which you use to toss on their political coffin as its lowered into the ground. The dirt the good doctor is feeling today is the latter: one can almost read the glee with which this report in the WaPo was filed.
Is it premature to pronounce the Dean Crusade dead? Absolutely. As I wrote the other day, there's nothing that indicates "quitter" about this man. But anything less than a first place finish in New Hampshire is deadly for his prospects because 1) he was the frontrunner there and B) it's his backyard. Seriously, though, I have a feeling Dave Matthews' latest song isn't a fan favorite at the Dean HQ this morning as they read this piece in the Manchester Union Leader. The key graf:
But the battering he took - and the self-inflicted wounds he delivered - have left him a far less attractive candidate to many Democratic voters than he was just a few months ago. In Iowa, Dean had the highest negatives of any of the major candidates competing here and rival strategists said the same has begun to happen to him in New Hampshire. It is questionable whether Dean can survive a loss in New Hampshire next week.
The odds that the latte/piercing version of George Wallace's movement bolting from the party have ratcheted up enormously.
The real significance of the victories yesterday for Kerry and Edwards is that they won far away from their home turf: Dean not only has to win New Hampshire, but he also has to win convincingly in a state outside of his comfort zone--somewhere in the south or the west to prove that he can win outside of the WholeFoods/tofu/latte belt. Edwards and Kerry have that ticket punched, and can now focus on trying to run up the score in their neighborhood--ie New Hampshire and South Carolina. What must Kerry do? Keep Ted Kennedy's head away from as many tv cameras as possible.
What about General Clark? I think he's the next one to implode, for some of the same reasons that Dean did. First, his intemperate manner and record is starting to buckle under the intense scrutiny of the real season: his completely mixed message on the war is just a train wreck waiting to happen. Second, he's been following the lead of the good doctor and relying lately on a lot of "high profile" endorsements to give him credibility with the party establishment. If the Gore endorsement was the touch of death to the Dean movement [eerily reminiscent of this excellent William Macy movie], what will the endorsements of George McGovern and Michael Moore do for Clark? George freaking McGovern? Is he out of his mind appearing on the same stage with GEORGE MCGOVERN?
The first real drop out from the race is Dick Gephardt, who has matured into quite a class act. It's odd, but I think leaving his leadership post in the House led to a maturity in his tone and message that is rather pleasant [in a way for example that Newt Gingrich never has attained].
Today's Choice Cuts
The Morning After: Well, how can we ignore last night's Iowa caucus? Glenn has a round-up of reactions. As for our friend the Glass-Jawed Porcupine, all I can say is that the radio jocks I listen to on the drive in the morning specialize in celebrity impersonation. They kept running clips of Dean's speech from last night and it took me a veeeery long time to realize that this was not one of their jokes.
Shooting Ourselves In The Foot, Dept: Richard Shultz has a very sobering article in the Weekly Standard about one of the biggest obstacles to our prosecution of the war on terror. Go read.
Our Man In Iraq: Rich Galen has been posting weekly accounts of his experiences on the ground for a couple months now. Always worth reading. If you haven't, you really should sign up for his email distribution net.
Bonus Taranto: Owing to the holiday yesterday, James probably thought he would escape assimilation. He was wrong. We are the Blorg.
The Morning After: Well, how can we ignore last night's Iowa caucus? Glenn has a round-up of reactions. As for our friend the Glass-Jawed Porcupine, all I can say is that the radio jocks I listen to on the drive in the morning specialize in celebrity impersonation. They kept running clips of Dean's speech from last night and it took me a veeeery long time to realize that this was not one of their jokes.
Shooting Ourselves In The Foot, Dept: Richard Shultz has a very sobering article in the Weekly Standard about one of the biggest obstacles to our prosecution of the war on terror. Go read.
Our Man In Iraq: Rich Galen has been posting weekly accounts of his experiences on the ground for a couple months now. Always worth reading. If you haven't, you really should sign up for his email distribution net.
Bonus Taranto: Owing to the holiday yesterday, James probably thought he would escape assimilation. He was wrong. We are the Blorg.
The fix was in
Black helicopters from the Bush/CNN secret police stole Iowa from Dean! That's right, it's today's wisdom from the keepers of America's conscience, the jackalopes at the Democratic Underground.
Black helicopters from the Bush/CNN secret police stole Iowa from Dean! That's right, it's today's wisdom from the keepers of America's conscience, the jackalopes at the Democratic Underground.
Monday, January 19, 2004
Perhaps the most bizarre web page of all time
Ladies and gentlemen, the web page for the Vatican's Secret Archives.
Ladies and gentlemen, the web page for the Vatican's Secret Archives.
Today's Choice Cuts
Today being a holiday, we have only a limited selection. Full service will resume tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the folks over in The Corner are making Iowa predictions. Since they're paid for it, I guess they have to.
To the category of "Movies Guys Have To Watch," I would like to add Broken Arrow, which was on FX last night. Travolta's psychopath is superb. And Howie Long could be the side-kick in any action movie.
I am mildly surprised and pleased at the results of yesterday's games. I think a Panthers/Patriots Super Bowl will be good - both teams have a low primadona factor and ar successful because they put their heads down and pound it out.
More later.
Today being a holiday, we have only a limited selection. Full service will resume tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the folks over in The Corner are making Iowa predictions. Since they're paid for it, I guess they have to.
To the category of "Movies Guys Have To Watch," I would like to add Broken Arrow, which was on FX last night. Travolta's psychopath is superb. And Howie Long could be the side-kick in any action movie.
I am mildly surprised and pleased at the results of yesterday's games. I think a Panthers/Patriots Super Bowl will be good - both teams have a low primadona factor and ar successful because they put their heads down and pound it out.
More later.
Sunday, January 18, 2004
Ladies and gentlemen, the DemocraticUnderground....
More wisdom from the keepers of America's conscience.
More wisdom from the keepers of America's conscience.
Back from Philly
The conference in Philadelphia was great--the new National Constitutional Center is really worth a visit if you are in the area. I was very good and resisted purchasing this in the giftshop, although somehow the sheer camp value would have justified it [plus, it could probably have been tax deductible--hey, I'm a constitutional scholar, right?] But I did get my 5 yr old son this, not realizing the hit it would become. Like the real McCoy, he's taller than the Playmobils, so they all have naturally deferred to his leadership, but not so large that they've rallied against him and treated him as an outcast, like the dinosaurs and evil robots. Today, he led an expedition of Vikings across the "ocean," [George Washington crossing the Delaware in a Viking ship, think about it for a moment---"Avast there, General Cornwallis, ye have yer stinkin' Hessians, but we've got Vikings and Pirates!!! ARRRGH!] where they waged war successfully on the Hanoverian tyranny represented in the Playmobil castle.
Right now, I'm ensconced in the new LlamaButcher Lair, aka the basement office. The books are finally all on their shelves in a reasonable order, although that is sure to change. I'm dithering a bit before diving back into tomorrow's reading for Social Movements & the Law, where I'm having them read the first two chapters from Robert Williams' The American Indian in Western Legal Thought: The Discourses of Conquest. What's fun about the book is how he does a great job of demonstrating the origins of what becomes the legal framework of federal Indian law in the various Papal edicts just before and during the Crusades. You never really think about Innnocent IV [sounds like a porn movie, rather than perhaps the greatest of the canon lawyer popes] as being a founding father, but the logic set forward in bulls such as Quod super his wind up defining the parameters of American Indian law in such Supreme Court cases as John Marshall's decision in Johnson v. McIntosh. In Quod super his, Innocent asks the question [innocently, oh, come on, you saw that coming!] "Is it licit to invade a land that infidels possess, or which belongs to them?" If you're not sure of the answer, check the title search on your house's deed. In Legal Theory & Public Policy, we're starting HLA Hart's The Concept of Law, which is easily my favorite book on the question of the nature of legal obligations.
Otherwise, things are pretty quiet around here. I'm delighted that the Eagles lost, because I was getting pretty sick of the trash talk going on when I was up there, plus the effect of Redskin's owner Danny "my friends call me MISTER Snyder" Snyder must have blown chunks when the running back they cut wound up carrying Carolina to the Super Bowl.
From the world of politics: I almost keeled over laughing last night at the opening sketch on SNL featuring their impersonation of Dr. Dean. Holy cow, do they have his number! And speaking of numbers, here's the latest update in our continuing feature "Steve eschews political science to consult with British bookies" in which we track the relative status of the presidential hopefuls based on the futures market that TradeSports.com has set up:
As of Sunday evening, the futures contract on Dr. Dean winning the Democratic Nomination is Bid 48 Ask 50.9. If Dean wins the nomination, the contract is worth 100, if he doesn't, its worth 0. So if you think he's going to win, you "bid" or buy the contract, if you think he's going to lose you "ask" or sell the contract. So if you think he's going to win, you are betting in effect $48 on the hopes of winning that back plus an additional $52; if you think he's going to lose, you are betting fifty bucks with the hope of winning [excuse me, earning] another fifty. So how's this relative to the value of the contract over its life? Dean peaked at $70 a contract the week before Christmas and has been in a free fall since. And just so you don't think this is some minor little thing, so far over 74 thousand Dean contracts have been traded. Who has gained? The contract for the "field," which is where the Clark contract is [because of his late entry to the contest]. My hunch was going into this that the market would do a better job than the polls, or would at least show the turning points before the polls would. So far, I think that's been the case. But then again, the voting has to begin, no?
SPECIAL BONUS!
Of course, the punch line to the joke that reference was from: "Yeah, but Chunks is my dog!"
The conference in Philadelphia was great--the new National Constitutional Center is really worth a visit if you are in the area. I was very good and resisted purchasing this in the giftshop, although somehow the sheer camp value would have justified it [plus, it could probably have been tax deductible--hey, I'm a constitutional scholar, right?] But I did get my 5 yr old son this, not realizing the hit it would become. Like the real McCoy, he's taller than the Playmobils, so they all have naturally deferred to his leadership, but not so large that they've rallied against him and treated him as an outcast, like the dinosaurs and evil robots. Today, he led an expedition of Vikings across the "ocean," [George Washington crossing the Delaware in a Viking ship, think about it for a moment---"Avast there, General Cornwallis, ye have yer stinkin' Hessians, but we've got Vikings and Pirates!!! ARRRGH!] where they waged war successfully on the Hanoverian tyranny represented in the Playmobil castle.
Right now, I'm ensconced in the new LlamaButcher Lair, aka the basement office. The books are finally all on their shelves in a reasonable order, although that is sure to change. I'm dithering a bit before diving back into tomorrow's reading for Social Movements & the Law, where I'm having them read the first two chapters from Robert Williams' The American Indian in Western Legal Thought: The Discourses of Conquest. What's fun about the book is how he does a great job of demonstrating the origins of what becomes the legal framework of federal Indian law in the various Papal edicts just before and during the Crusades. You never really think about Innnocent IV [sounds like a porn movie, rather than perhaps the greatest of the canon lawyer popes] as being a founding father, but the logic set forward in bulls such as Quod super his wind up defining the parameters of American Indian law in such Supreme Court cases as John Marshall's decision in Johnson v. McIntosh. In Quod super his, Innocent asks the question [innocently, oh, come on, you saw that coming!] "Is it licit to invade a land that infidels possess, or which belongs to them?" If you're not sure of the answer, check the title search on your house's deed. In Legal Theory & Public Policy, we're starting HLA Hart's The Concept of Law, which is easily my favorite book on the question of the nature of legal obligations.
Otherwise, things are pretty quiet around here. I'm delighted that the Eagles lost, because I was getting pretty sick of the trash talk going on when I was up there, plus the effect of Redskin's owner Danny "my friends call me MISTER Snyder" Snyder must have blown chunks when the running back they cut wound up carrying Carolina to the Super Bowl.
From the world of politics: I almost keeled over laughing last night at the opening sketch on SNL featuring their impersonation of Dr. Dean. Holy cow, do they have his number! And speaking of numbers, here's the latest update in our continuing feature "Steve eschews political science to consult with British bookies" in which we track the relative status of the presidential hopefuls based on the futures market that TradeSports.com has set up:
As of Sunday evening, the futures contract on Dr. Dean winning the Democratic Nomination is Bid 48 Ask 50.9. If Dean wins the nomination, the contract is worth 100, if he doesn't, its worth 0. So if you think he's going to win, you "bid" or buy the contract, if you think he's going to lose you "ask" or sell the contract. So if you think he's going to win, you are betting in effect $48 on the hopes of winning that back plus an additional $52; if you think he's going to lose, you are betting fifty bucks with the hope of winning [excuse me, earning] another fifty. So how's this relative to the value of the contract over its life? Dean peaked at $70 a contract the week before Christmas and has been in a free fall since. And just so you don't think this is some minor little thing, so far over 74 thousand Dean contracts have been traded. Who has gained? The contract for the "field," which is where the Clark contract is [because of his late entry to the contest]. My hunch was going into this that the market would do a better job than the polls, or would at least show the turning points before the polls would. So far, I think that's been the case. But then again, the voting has to begin, no?
SPECIAL BONUS!
Of course, the punch line to the joke that reference was from: "Yeah, but Chunks is my dog!"
Just about what you would expect from a political scientist blogger
Years of late nights in the lab, thousands of data points crunched, and many a musty archives scoured for in-depth context went in to bringing this indispensable guide to understand Tuesday night's State of the Union address.
Years of late nights in the lab, thousands of data points crunched, and many a musty archives scoured for in-depth context went in to bringing this indispensable guide to understand Tuesday night's State of the Union address.
Hello From The Llama Butchers!
I hear from reliable sources that the Butcher's Wife has been describing our little venture to some of her friends, so we are likely to have some first-time readers in the near future. Welcome aboard! Feel free to email us with any comments, questions or suggestions! If we draw your name, you may be eligible to win a mountain bike!
Seriously, tho, have a look around. We hope you find some of our thoughts informative and entertaining, or at least not totally lame. As you will see, we write about pretty much whatever occurs to us, whether it's politics, culture or domestic life. And be sure to scroll down to our blogroll and check out some of the excellent sites we have posted there.
The wife recently asked me, "Tom, how do blogs get known?" Well, it's largely by word of mouth. We keep doing what we do and if it's any good, sooner or later folks begin to notice and to comment. And to recommend. So if you like this site, go tell two friends. Then they'll tell two friends, and So on, and So on, and So on.......*
In the meantime, as we like to say in LlamaLand, YIP! YIP! YIP! YIP! YIP!
* If you are too young to remember the commercial this joke is based on, I don't want to know about it.
I hear from reliable sources that the Butcher's Wife has been describing our little venture to some of her friends, so we are likely to have some first-time readers in the near future. Welcome aboard! Feel free to email us with any comments, questions or suggestions! If we draw your name, you may be eligible to win a mountain bike!
Seriously, tho, have a look around. We hope you find some of our thoughts informative and entertaining, or at least not totally lame. As you will see, we write about pretty much whatever occurs to us, whether it's politics, culture or domestic life. And be sure to scroll down to our blogroll and check out some of the excellent sites we have posted there.
The wife recently asked me, "Tom, how do blogs get known?" Well, it's largely by word of mouth. We keep doing what we do and if it's any good, sooner or later folks begin to notice and to comment. And to recommend. So if you like this site, go tell two friends. Then they'll tell two friends, and So on, and So on, and So on.......*
In the meantime, as we like to say in LlamaLand, YIP! YIP! YIP! YIP! YIP!
* If you are too young to remember the commercial this joke is based on, I don't want to know about it.
Gratuitous Domestic Blog and Apology
Sorry about the quality of the posts today. Lousy weather, and the gels have been cooped up inside all day. Bad combination. Kind of hard to concentrate, or indeed even think coherently.
This sort of situation always reminds me of one of my favorite Monty Python sketchs, wherein Mrs. Thing and Mrs. Entity discuss Beethoven and the miming Mynah bird. Fade to a wild-eyed John Cleese trying to compose, whilst Mrs. Beethoven harries him about afternoon tea ("Stuff the jam spoon!"), rats invade the place ("Get out the piano ya hairy buck-toothed gits!") and, of course, Colin Mozart, Munich's leading rat-catcher, shooting up the room with a machine gun ("Gott und Himmel, I never get any peace around here!").
Mrs. Thing ends the sketch with words that have always rung true to me. "So anyway, Beethoven was really rather glad when he went deaf!"
Amen.
Sorry about the quality of the posts today. Lousy weather, and the gels have been cooped up inside all day. Bad combination. Kind of hard to concentrate, or indeed even think coherently.
This sort of situation always reminds me of one of my favorite Monty Python sketchs, wherein Mrs. Thing and Mrs. Entity discuss Beethoven and the miming Mynah bird. Fade to a wild-eyed John Cleese trying to compose, whilst Mrs. Beethoven harries him about afternoon tea ("Stuff the jam spoon!"), rats invade the place ("Get out the piano ya hairy buck-toothed gits!") and, of course, Colin Mozart, Munich's leading rat-catcher, shooting up the room with a machine gun ("Gott und Himmel, I never get any peace around here!").
Mrs. Thing ends the sketch with words that have always rung true to me. "So anyway, Beethoven was really rather glad when he went deaf!"
Amen.
Sunday WaPo Roundup
A few choice and interesting bits from today's edition of Pravda on the Potomac.
First, Teddy Kennedy weighs in with an editorial arguing that Bush lied in order to get us to war with Iraq. This is essentially the same thing he said in a speech this week, for which Jonah Goldberg rightly jumped all over him. (See below for our coverage on Thursday and Friday.) As for the speech, my initial reaction was to assume that Teddy was simply drunk. However, I reckon he couldn't have been tipsy the entire time he was writing this piece, so perhaps there is some other motivation. Trying to reenergize the Angry Left? Looking to pick up some brownie points with Dean? Who knows. Teddy is exactly the sort of Establishment leach that the Glass-Jawed Porcupine is supposed to detest. But noise like this isn't made without a reason. We'll keep you posted.
Next, everyone's favorite washed-up swinger Gary Hart reveals that the Libyans approached him in 1992 about negotiating an end to sanctions and their WMD programs, and the Senior Bush Administration did nothing! How can Dubya take credit for the Libyan climb down now!?
Well, Gary, I'll make it real plain for ya. In 1992, the Libyans made noise about maybe turning over the Lockerbie bombing suspects and then "negotiating" the sanctions and weapons program. Yeah, right. Same ol' same ol'. A few months ago, we beat the crap out of Saddam and now the Libyans are grabbing their ankles and smiling, IF you know what I mean (and I think you do). No negotiations, no quid pro. Their recent unilateral surrender is positively French in its breadth. Need I say more?
On a lighter note, Miss Manners, ever one of my heroines, Fisks the movie Mona Lisa Smile. Heh.
Finally, for those of you who don't subscribe on a regular basis, I heartily suggest checking out the WaPo's Sunday Style Invitational. This is truly one of those things that gives one hope for Humanity. I am constantly marveling at the level of intelligence and wit that regularly goes into the entries to this contest. Go and read. LOL funny, as we like to say in the 'sphere.
(BTW, in case you don't think blogging is hard work, it took me about 45 minutes on my old dinosaur of a machine with dial up and AOL to cut and paste these links! At the shop, I could have done it in five. Grrrrrrh.)
A few choice and interesting bits from today's edition of Pravda on the Potomac.
First, Teddy Kennedy weighs in with an editorial arguing that Bush lied in order to get us to war with Iraq. This is essentially the same thing he said in a speech this week, for which Jonah Goldberg rightly jumped all over him. (See below for our coverage on Thursday and Friday.) As for the speech, my initial reaction was to assume that Teddy was simply drunk. However, I reckon he couldn't have been tipsy the entire time he was writing this piece, so perhaps there is some other motivation. Trying to reenergize the Angry Left? Looking to pick up some brownie points with Dean? Who knows. Teddy is exactly the sort of Establishment leach that the Glass-Jawed Porcupine is supposed to detest. But noise like this isn't made without a reason. We'll keep you posted.
Next, everyone's favorite washed-up swinger Gary Hart reveals that the Libyans approached him in 1992 about negotiating an end to sanctions and their WMD programs, and the Senior Bush Administration did nothing! How can Dubya take credit for the Libyan climb down now!?
Well, Gary, I'll make it real plain for ya. In 1992, the Libyans made noise about maybe turning over the Lockerbie bombing suspects and then "negotiating" the sanctions and weapons program. Yeah, right. Same ol' same ol'. A few months ago, we beat the crap out of Saddam and now the Libyans are grabbing their ankles and smiling, IF you know what I mean (and I think you do). No negotiations, no quid pro. Their recent unilateral surrender is positively French in its breadth. Need I say more?
On a lighter note, Miss Manners, ever one of my heroines, Fisks the movie Mona Lisa Smile. Heh.
Finally, for those of you who don't subscribe on a regular basis, I heartily suggest checking out the WaPo's Sunday Style Invitational. This is truly one of those things that gives one hope for Humanity. I am constantly marveling at the level of intelligence and wit that regularly goes into the entries to this contest. Go and read. LOL funny, as we like to say in the 'sphere.
(BTW, in case you don't think blogging is hard work, it took me about 45 minutes on my old dinosaur of a machine with dial up and AOL to cut and paste these links! At the shop, I could have done it in five. Grrrrrrh.)
Gratuitous Movie Review
I cracked open my new DVD of Brazil last night. What a wicked, wicked black comedy it really is. One of Gilliam's best. His creation of a Big Brother World in which everything is bureaucratic, slipshod and drab and in which a man can literally be swallowed up by paperwork is great. And what a cast! Jonathan Pryce has always been just about my favorite unknown actor. Michael Palin shows a turn of menace that is really unnerving if all you've ever seen is Python. And I had forgotten about the heavyweights in the supporting cast: De Niro, Ian Holm.
I first saw the movie while attending George Orwell University (motto: We Are All Different! I'm not. SSSSHHH!!) To get out of the campus cinema, you had to travel through a warren of concrete halls with piping lashed to the ceiling that looked exactly, exactly like the world whipped up by Gilliam. I think it was the first time many in the audience had seen the movie. Like me, they were already pretty jumpy, and this visual prod unnerved them even further.
What never ceases to amaze me is how good Lefties seem to at once believe that the State, when in the hands of Hitler or John Ashcroft, is the embodiment of eviiil, yet at the same time continue to believe that this same state, when in the proper hands (like those of Hillary) can be the answer to all of life's problems. Go figure. Reminds me of the old joke: Communists worship Satan. Socialists believe perdition is a good system run by bad people. Liberals think we should all go to hell because it's warm there in the winter.
Aaaanyway, some day I'm going to do a broader review of both the Python films and some of the independent projects that the cast members undertook concurrently or thereafter. Certainly Gilliam's work is the most well known, but there are other gems. One of my favorites is Eric the Viking, starring Tim Robbins. This movie, produced (I think) by Terry Jones, is about a Viking who suffers an crisis of identity while plundering a neighboring village. Another little known film is called Privates on Parade. It stars John Cleese and is about a British Army equivalent of a USO troupe that gets mixed up in the 1948 Malay States Emergency. Lots of camping it up and a dark, dark ending.
I cracked open my new DVD of Brazil last night. What a wicked, wicked black comedy it really is. One of Gilliam's best. His creation of a Big Brother World in which everything is bureaucratic, slipshod and drab and in which a man can literally be swallowed up by paperwork is great. And what a cast! Jonathan Pryce has always been just about my favorite unknown actor. Michael Palin shows a turn of menace that is really unnerving if all you've ever seen is Python. And I had forgotten about the heavyweights in the supporting cast: De Niro, Ian Holm.
I first saw the movie while attending George Orwell University (motto: We Are All Different! I'm not. SSSSHHH!!) To get out of the campus cinema, you had to travel through a warren of concrete halls with piping lashed to the ceiling that looked exactly, exactly like the world whipped up by Gilliam. I think it was the first time many in the audience had seen the movie. Like me, they were already pretty jumpy, and this visual prod unnerved them even further.
What never ceases to amaze me is how good Lefties seem to at once believe that the State, when in the hands of Hitler or John Ashcroft, is the embodiment of eviiil, yet at the same time continue to believe that this same state, when in the proper hands (like those of Hillary) can be the answer to all of life's problems. Go figure. Reminds me of the old joke: Communists worship Satan. Socialists believe perdition is a good system run by bad people. Liberals think we should all go to hell because it's warm there in the winter.
Aaaanyway, some day I'm going to do a broader review of both the Python films and some of the independent projects that the cast members undertook concurrently or thereafter. Certainly Gilliam's work is the most well known, but there are other gems. One of my favorites is Eric the Viking, starring Tim Robbins. This movie, produced (I think) by Terry Jones, is about a Viking who suffers an crisis of identity while plundering a neighboring village. Another little known film is called Privates on Parade. It stars John Cleese and is about a British Army equivalent of a USO troupe that gets mixed up in the 1948 Malay States Emergency. Lots of camping it up and a dark, dark ending.
WWTALD?
Steyn has a profile of the Glass-Jawed Porcupine in the Telegraph today that raises a number of interesting What If questions based on the apparent stumble of the Good Doctor going into Tuesday. (I still promise I am making absolutely no predictions about the outcome in either Iowa or New Hampshire.)
There is much in the article that is worth a look. (After all, this is Steyn.) But it caught my attention particularly because as fellow LB'er Steve-O came back through town yesterday, we discussed briefly the future course of that keystone of the Democrats this time around, the Angry Left. In short, I asked: if Dean flames out in the primaries, What Will The Angry Left Do?
This is something I want to track as the next couple of months pan out. As I've mentioned previously, there seems to be a strong bond between Dean and his supporters, a kind of codependency of bile. If he gets knocked out, what will they do? And what will Dean himself do? Go quietly back to Vermont? Or will we see the emergence of a kind of Bizarro-World Bull Moose Party with Mad Howard as its Champeen?
We shall see.
Steyn has a profile of the Glass-Jawed Porcupine in the Telegraph today that raises a number of interesting What If questions based on the apparent stumble of the Good Doctor going into Tuesday. (I still promise I am making absolutely no predictions about the outcome in either Iowa or New Hampshire.)
There is much in the article that is worth a look. (After all, this is Steyn.) But it caught my attention particularly because as fellow LB'er Steve-O came back through town yesterday, we discussed briefly the future course of that keystone of the Democrats this time around, the Angry Left. In short, I asked: if Dean flames out in the primaries, What Will The Angry Left Do?
This is something I want to track as the next couple of months pan out. As I've mentioned previously, there seems to be a strong bond between Dean and his supporters, a kind of codependency of bile. If he gets knocked out, what will they do? And what will Dean himself do? Go quietly back to Vermont? Or will we see the emergence of a kind of Bizarro-World Bull Moose Party with Mad Howard as its Champeen?
We shall see.
Friday, January 16, 2004
Aaaaaah
Extended weekend....Lousy weather forcast. Nuthin for it but some kiddy-time, bloggies, early cocktail hours and this.
(I know it's out of date, so don't bother. I'm a conservative, dammit! That means I like the old ways....)
Extended weekend....Lousy weather forcast. Nuthin for it but some kiddy-time, bloggies, early cocktail hours and this.
(I know it's out of date, so don't bother. I'm a conservative, dammit! That means I like the old ways....)
That Wacky Drudge!
Now he's posting a piece (no link yet) claiming Kerry advocated abolishing the Ag. Dept:
**Exclusive** In 1996 Senator John Kerry proposed to "get rid of the Agriculture Department," the DRUDGE REPORT can reveal. A move -- that if successful -- would have likely resulted in subsidies cuts and programs for Iowa growers. "I think we can reduce the size of Washington," Kerry said on January 6, 1996. "Get rid of the Energy Department. Get rid of the Agriculture Department, or at least render it three-quarters the size it is today; there are more agriculture bureaucrats than there are farmers in this country"...
Heh.
Now he's posting a piece (no link yet) claiming Kerry advocated abolishing the Ag. Dept:
**Exclusive** In 1996 Senator John Kerry proposed to "get rid of the Agriculture Department," the DRUDGE REPORT can reveal. A move -- that if successful -- would have likely resulted in subsidies cuts and programs for Iowa growers. "I think we can reduce the size of Washington," Kerry said on January 6, 1996. "Get rid of the Energy Department. Get rid of the Agriculture Department, or at least render it three-quarters the size it is today; there are more agriculture bureaucrats than there are farmers in this country"...
Heh.
New Blog Worth Watching
I wanted to draw to your attention TexasBestGrok. HT to VP.
No, I'm neither stealing Stephen's very good public service annoucements, nor am I attempting to assimilate the idea. Instead, I note Texasbestgrok for a couple reasons in particular:
1) The guy's a lawyer like me, but not so much of one that he isn't anything else, if you know what I mean. I heartily agree with him about people who attempt to speak Legalese. Stop it. You sound like an idiot.
2) The guy is from Texas, as am I. (Ed. - Yeah, but YOU were born in Upstate New York. Shut up.) I frankly hated living there, mostly due to the weather, and spent many years living it down once I cleared out. However, I am now more and more grateful that the place shaped my childhood and teenage years. I, too, went to what was then just called the Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg, it must be 25 years ago. Back then, there were just a few rooms in the Nimitz Hotel and then a big field full of surplus WWII stuff. I vividly remember playing on a 5-inch gun mount with my brother. The controls still worked, so one of us would raise and lower the barrel while the other traversed the gun back and forth. Great fun.
3) The guy (may I call you John, even tho' we've not been introduced?) has many cool and intelligent things to say about space flight.
4) The guy/John likes Legos.
5) The guy/John likes Tolkien. How in the hell he got his kid to sit through a reading of the whole trilogy without ductape is a mystery. (Alas, he'll probably turn out to be an enthusiast of the movies as well. As my fellow LB Steve-O knows, we hates them!)
6) Our respective blogs appear to be of roughly the same vintage and (judging by his blogroll) temperament. We Frosh should stick together.
So go say howdy.
I wanted to draw to your attention TexasBestGrok. HT to VP.
No, I'm neither stealing Stephen's very good public service annoucements, nor am I attempting to assimilate the idea. Instead, I note Texasbestgrok for a couple reasons in particular:
1) The guy's a lawyer like me, but not so much of one that he isn't anything else, if you know what I mean. I heartily agree with him about people who attempt to speak Legalese. Stop it. You sound like an idiot.
2) The guy is from Texas, as am I. (Ed. - Yeah, but YOU were born in Upstate New York. Shut up.) I frankly hated living there, mostly due to the weather, and spent many years living it down once I cleared out. However, I am now more and more grateful that the place shaped my childhood and teenage years. I, too, went to what was then just called the Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg, it must be 25 years ago. Back then, there were just a few rooms in the Nimitz Hotel and then a big field full of surplus WWII stuff. I vividly remember playing on a 5-inch gun mount with my brother. The controls still worked, so one of us would raise and lower the barrel while the other traversed the gun back and forth. Great fun.
3) The guy (may I call you John, even tho' we've not been introduced?) has many cool and intelligent things to say about space flight.
4) The guy/John likes Legos.
5) The guy/John likes Tolkien. How in the hell he got his kid to sit through a reading of the whole trilogy without ductape is a mystery. (Alas, he'll probably turn out to be an enthusiast of the movies as well. As my fellow LB Steve-O knows, we hates them!)
6) Our respective blogs appear to be of roughly the same vintage and (judging by his blogroll) temperament. We Frosh should stick together.
So go say howdy.
Surreal
I'm blogging from the observation deck of the National Constitution Center. The terminal I'm sitting at is on a direct line of sight with the second floor of Independence Hall, about a thousand yards or so away. The NCC has that StarFleet Command Headquarters sort of feel to it--lots of granite, brushed aluminum fixtures, angular corners and shapes, and lots of huge windows. The acoustics are relatively good, except there is for some reason a large multimedia display wall that is set to CNN. So while sitting here, contemplating the view, trying to read a chapter about the Western land cession dispute that was ultimately resolved in the Northwest Ordinance, there is the unavoidable rumble of live coverage of the Jackson case and its feeding frenzy. Not perhaps what the architects had in mind.
I'm blogging from the observation deck of the National Constitution Center. The terminal I'm sitting at is on a direct line of sight with the second floor of Independence Hall, about a thousand yards or so away. The NCC has that StarFleet Command Headquarters sort of feel to it--lots of granite, brushed aluminum fixtures, angular corners and shapes, and lots of huge windows. The acoustics are relatively good, except there is for some reason a large multimedia display wall that is set to CNN. So while sitting here, contemplating the view, trying to read a chapter about the Western land cession dispute that was ultimately resolved in the Northwest Ordinance, there is the unavoidable rumble of live coverage of the Jackson case and its feeding frenzy. Not perhaps what the architects had in mind.
Today's After 3:00 PM Half-Price Specials
IT'S ALL IN THE MESSAGE, DEPT.: Check out this little item from Blackfive. Heh, indeed.
TROUBLE IN DEAN'S WORLD: Yesterday we noted Dean Esmay's call for all of us to stop making fun of John Kerry's Vietnam jones. We politely declined. Now, The Missus weighs in.
THE ANSWER IS NO: Jane Galt sums up nicely the problems Al Frankin will face going up against El Rushbo and wonders whether Al has what it takes to survive and thrive in the Bigs.
I'M STILL LISTENING: Kevin Cherry over at NRO has a piece on the Fall and Rise of Frazier Crane.
CAESAR, CALL YOUR OFFICE: MonkeyWatch relays a story that proves chimps are more evolutionarily advanced than potty-training toddlers. And Rowland must go.
BACK-STABBING VULCAN BASTARDS DEPT: Remember that scene in Wrath of Khan where Spock pretended to be noble and stoic about Kirk taking command of the Enterprise? Well, Kirk should have paid closer attention to the Klingon proverb that tells us revenge is a dish best served cold. Amish Tech Support has the story.
TOLKIEN DUMBING-DOWN WATCH: Moxie has the photo and the right attitude. We hates it! We hates it forever!
COLD-COCKING CLARK: Okay, okay, Ann is a little, er, over the top, but she's fun to read anyway.
IT'S FRIDAY: Go fark yerself.
TARANTO WATCH: He can't hold out forever. Resistence is futile.
UPDATE: Taranto has been assimilated. We are the Blorg.
IT'S ALL IN THE MESSAGE, DEPT.: Check out this little item from Blackfive. Heh, indeed.
TROUBLE IN DEAN'S WORLD: Yesterday we noted Dean Esmay's call for all of us to stop making fun of John Kerry's Vietnam jones. We politely declined. Now, The Missus weighs in.
THE ANSWER IS NO: Jane Galt sums up nicely the problems Al Frankin will face going up against El Rushbo and wonders whether Al has what it takes to survive and thrive in the Bigs.
I'M STILL LISTENING: Kevin Cherry over at NRO has a piece on the Fall and Rise of Frazier Crane.
CAESAR, CALL YOUR OFFICE: MonkeyWatch relays a story that proves chimps are more evolutionarily advanced than potty-training toddlers. And Rowland must go.
BACK-STABBING VULCAN BASTARDS DEPT: Remember that scene in Wrath of Khan where Spock pretended to be noble and stoic about Kirk taking command of the Enterprise? Well, Kirk should have paid closer attention to the Klingon proverb that tells us revenge is a dish best served cold. Amish Tech Support has the story.
TOLKIEN DUMBING-DOWN WATCH: Moxie has the photo and the right attitude. We hates it! We hates it forever!
COLD-COCKING CLARK: Okay, okay, Ann is a little, er, over the top, but she's fun to read anyway.
IT'S FRIDAY: Go fark yerself.
TARANTO WATCH: He can't hold out forever. Resistence is futile.
UPDATE: Taranto has been assimilated. We are the Blorg.
I Hereby Take The Pledge
It's got to the point where I simply do not know what to make of the poll numbers in Iowa. As Hugh manages to convey in just a couple short paragraphs, there are so many different factors in play, my poor old head just can't keep up with it all while, at the same time, keeping me gainfully employed in my real job.
Therefore, I am officially abstaining from making any predictions whatsoever regarding who will win and by how much. Of course, once the votes have been cast, we will be sure to Yip Yip away on the twin subjects of What It All Means and We Knew This Was Coming.
In the meantime, tace is the Latin for a candle.
UPDATE: James Joyner observes the Press in Feeding Frenzy mode. I'm not a political scientist, but I would be very interested to know if anyone has made a study of the way the 24/7 news cycle and the rise of the blogsphere have influenced the Expectations Game and the relationship between political campaigns and the press's coverage of them.
YIPS from Steve: A good rule of thumb is a poll with a margin of error above 3% is in effect useless--the one CNN just used to disturb my Madison musings had a margin of error of 4.5%, which is the equivalent of "well, i asked some folks on the bus."
New spin is that the Dean people are paying Carol Mosley Braun's debts--whether true or not, a good example of how endorsements can blow up in your face.
FURTHER UPDATE: Jeff Jarvis adds his two cents, blaming the confusing polls on a serious bi-polar disorder within the heart of the Democratic Party.
It's got to the point where I simply do not know what to make of the poll numbers in Iowa. As Hugh manages to convey in just a couple short paragraphs, there are so many different factors in play, my poor old head just can't keep up with it all while, at the same time, keeping me gainfully employed in my real job.
Therefore, I am officially abstaining from making any predictions whatsoever regarding who will win and by how much. Of course, once the votes have been cast, we will be sure to Yip Yip away on the twin subjects of What It All Means and We Knew This Was Coming.
In the meantime, tace is the Latin for a candle.
UPDATE: James Joyner observes the Press in Feeding Frenzy mode. I'm not a political scientist, but I would be very interested to know if anyone has made a study of the way the 24/7 news cycle and the rise of the blogsphere have influenced the Expectations Game and the relationship between political campaigns and the press's coverage of them.
YIPS from Steve: A good rule of thumb is a poll with a margin of error above 3% is in effect useless--the one CNN just used to disturb my Madison musings had a margin of error of 4.5%, which is the equivalent of "well, i asked some folks on the bus."
New spin is that the Dean people are paying Carol Mosley Braun's debts--whether true or not, a good example of how endorsements can blow up in your face.
FURTHER UPDATE: Jeff Jarvis adds his two cents, blaming the confusing polls on a serious bi-polar disorder within the heart of the Democratic Party.
Things Wot Bugs Me
I had meant to mention this before and was reminded of it again on my way home last evening.
Like most folks, I listen to the radio during the ol' commute. At home, I listen almost exclusively to classical music. However, I drive one of these babies. Anything above 25-30 mph and it gets so noisy that trying to listen to such music would be a waste of time. (Also, those bastards at the local NPR affiliate have replaced all of the drive-time music with yackety-blather. Nina Totenberg and Linda Wortheimer can get stuffed. But I digress.)
So, it's Country in the morning and Smooth Jazz on the way home. Never mind any smart remarks, that's what I do. Better than rap or head-banging. And NO TALK RADIO. We hates it!
Now, the jazz station plays tracks from this a lot. But every time they do, I get feeling kind of creepy. Make no mistake - I think Natalie Cole is extremely talented and I like her solo work, but the love duets with her own father? I mean, those old Nat King Cole songs were pretty obviously addressed to lovers, not blood-relations. Icky. As Miss Clavel would say, "Something is not right."
Is it just me? Meb.
I had meant to mention this before and was reminded of it again on my way home last evening.
Like most folks, I listen to the radio during the ol' commute. At home, I listen almost exclusively to classical music. However, I drive one of these babies. Anything above 25-30 mph and it gets so noisy that trying to listen to such music would be a waste of time. (Also, those bastards at the local NPR affiliate have replaced all of the drive-time music with yackety-blather. Nina Totenberg and Linda Wortheimer can get stuffed. But I digress.)
So, it's Country in the morning and Smooth Jazz on the way home. Never mind any smart remarks, that's what I do. Better than rap or head-banging. And NO TALK RADIO. We hates it!
Now, the jazz station plays tracks from this a lot. But every time they do, I get feeling kind of creepy. Make no mistake - I think Natalie Cole is extremely talented and I like her solo work, but the love duets with her own father? I mean, those old Nat King Cole songs were pretty obviously addressed to lovers, not blood-relations. Icky. As Miss Clavel would say, "Something is not right."
Is it just me? Meb.
Merciful God In Heaven Above!
I was going to save this for the Half-Price Specials, but it's the beginning of a 3-day weekend and I think a stand-alone post is in order.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the All-Time-No-Questions-Asked-Super-King-Kamaya-Maya-Names-His-Pets-After-Jedi-Warriors, Geek of the World!
How much do you want to bet he likes his significant other (he appears to actually have one, unless the web address is a hoax) to dress up like this?
Looks like I picked the wrong week to quite drinking. HT to Fark.
I was going to save this for the Half-Price Specials, but it's the beginning of a 3-day weekend and I think a stand-alone post is in order.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the All-Time-No-Questions-Asked-Super-King-Kamaya-Maya-Names-His-Pets-After-Jedi-Warriors, Geek of the World!
How much do you want to bet he likes his significant other (he appears to actually have one, unless the web address is a hoax) to dress up like this?
Looks like I picked the wrong week to quite drinking. HT to Fark.
DrudgeMatch Update
The normally sound OxBlog, backing up Josh Marshall, goes off the rails commenting on Drudge's Gotcha column on Wes Clark's pre-war support of the Administration. Specifically, they accuse Drudge of "inventing" the pro-war quotes he attributed to Clark.
That's a pretty serious accusation, and is belied by Marshall's own piece (linked therein). Marshall and the other Clark apologists claim Drudge took select quotes from Clark's testimony out of context. They do not claim that he invented them.
But this is the 'Net. Go read the whole transcript and decide for yourself. As I said yesterday, I believe Clark's testimony, while heavily CYA-laden, is generally supportive of the Administration position prior to the war. This is perfectly in keeping with his McClellan-like character. And certainly Clark felt no compunction about gushing over Bush and Blair after Baghdad fell, as demonstrated in his Times of London Op-Ed of last April.
But in the past two months, Clark has been campaigning as if he were one of the first signatories of the Not In Our Name petition. He acts as if he spent the entire time in the build-up to the war lying on railroad tracks in front of munitions trains. He could have said, "While I generally supported the Administration's position prior to the war, subsequent events have caused me to rethink my support." That would have been perfectly legitimate. But he didn't do it because he didn't think it would be sufficiently persuasive to overcome the skepticism of the Angry Left. Instead, he has reinvented himself as a kind of Four-Star Flower Child. This is the act of invention here. Drudge simply called him on it.
UPDATE: Roger Simon comes to the same conclusion. He also points out that Clark's not the only candidate doing this sort of thing. (In fact, the only one I can think of who has maintained his consistency throughout is Lieberman.)
FURTHER UPDATE: Professor Steve-O? What was that First Law of Politics? "When you're in a hole, stop digging"?
FURTHER FURTHER UPDATE: OxBlog backs off its claim.
The normally sound OxBlog, backing up Josh Marshall, goes off the rails commenting on Drudge's Gotcha column on Wes Clark's pre-war support of the Administration. Specifically, they accuse Drudge of "inventing" the pro-war quotes he attributed to Clark.
That's a pretty serious accusation, and is belied by Marshall's own piece (linked therein). Marshall and the other Clark apologists claim Drudge took select quotes from Clark's testimony out of context. They do not claim that he invented them.
But this is the 'Net. Go read the whole transcript and decide for yourself. As I said yesterday, I believe Clark's testimony, while heavily CYA-laden, is generally supportive of the Administration position prior to the war. This is perfectly in keeping with his McClellan-like character. And certainly Clark felt no compunction about gushing over Bush and Blair after Baghdad fell, as demonstrated in his Times of London Op-Ed of last April.
But in the past two months, Clark has been campaigning as if he were one of the first signatories of the Not In Our Name petition. He acts as if he spent the entire time in the build-up to the war lying on railroad tracks in front of munitions trains. He could have said, "While I generally supported the Administration's position prior to the war, subsequent events have caused me to rethink my support." That would have been perfectly legitimate. But he didn't do it because he didn't think it would be sufficiently persuasive to overcome the skepticism of the Angry Left. Instead, he has reinvented himself as a kind of Four-Star Flower Child. This is the act of invention here. Drudge simply called him on it.
UPDATE: Roger Simon comes to the same conclusion. He also points out that Clark's not the only candidate doing this sort of thing. (In fact, the only one I can think of who has maintained his consistency throughout is Lieberman.)
FURTHER UPDATE: Professor Steve-O? What was that First Law of Politics? "When you're in a hole, stop digging"?
FURTHER FURTHER UPDATE: OxBlog backs off its claim.
Philly blogging
I'm in Philly for an ABA conference over at the National Constitutional Center. What a fabulous place! The room that has all the statues of the signers that you can walk among is eerie, in a very good way. I was in there alone for awhile last night, and my peripheral vision kept picking up movement. As I said, eerie. But very well done.
After all the proceedings were said and done last evening a couple of us went to a pool hall/bar down the street from the hotel. It was pretty good--the table was pricey, came out to be 40 bucks for two and a half hours, which was steep, but the house cues weren't bent and they had Bass Ale on tap, so life is good. I hit that zone when playing pool becomes like rolling the balls into garbage cans---you can see the angle clearly as if a laser is shooting out of the pocket bisecting the ball, and you see the ball falling in the pocket even before you hit it. Perfect.
That's it for me today, in all likelihood. But more later tomorrow!
YIP YIP from Robbo! I would hasten to add that the rumors that Steve is wandering around the city with a "Donovan McNabb is an Al Queda Sleeper Agent" T-shirt are, as yet, unconfirmed.
Yips: No, it wasn't me, but I think it was this guy
I'm in Philly for an ABA conference over at the National Constitutional Center. What a fabulous place! The room that has all the statues of the signers that you can walk among is eerie, in a very good way. I was in there alone for awhile last night, and my peripheral vision kept picking up movement. As I said, eerie. But very well done.
After all the proceedings were said and done last evening a couple of us went to a pool hall/bar down the street from the hotel. It was pretty good--the table was pricey, came out to be 40 bucks for two and a half hours, which was steep, but the house cues weren't bent and they had Bass Ale on tap, so life is good. I hit that zone when playing pool becomes like rolling the balls into garbage cans---you can see the angle clearly as if a laser is shooting out of the pocket bisecting the ball, and you see the ball falling in the pocket even before you hit it. Perfect.
That's it for me today, in all likelihood. But more later tomorrow!
YIP YIP from Robbo! I would hasten to add that the rumors that Steve is wandering around the city with a "Donovan McNabb is an Al Queda Sleeper Agent" T-shirt are, as yet, unconfirmed.
Yips: No, it wasn't me, but I think it was this guy
Today's Choice Cuts
Well, it's another Friday and the Llama Butchers hope to start your weekend right. Let's have a look at the menu:
MOM'S SPECIAL: Krautthammer says pretty much the same thing about Bush's space proposal that we've been saying here. The shuttle is nothing more than a U-Haul for "experiments n' stuff." The ISS is a money pit. Scrap 'em and Think Big. Why? Because it's space. Because it's there.
UPDATE: I had thought about taking Andrew Sullivan to task for whining about the price tag, but I see I don't have to. This great piece does it for me! HT to Mr. I Hate Vermouth for passing it along.
WMD FLANK STEAK: Jonah goes after the "Bush Lied!" meme. While I am not nearly as confident now that we will uncover a big WMD haul as I was before, I still believe it's way too early to say we were flat out mistaken. That Bush deliberately made it all up is, of course, preposterous. But politics is the arena of the absurd.
CELEBRITY CHITLINS: Matt Labash bitch-slaps Nicole Ritchie. Heh. I can say with smug pride that I've never set eyes on any of these "reality shows." (I'm such a SSTTTHHHNOB!)
FEVER SWAMP FILET: Meanwhile, Meghan Cox Gurden gives us another breath of hope for the future born from the chaos of the present. I know all about those sequined ruby slippers.
VDH PRIME: Hanson makes the case that the World is even more psychotic than you might think.
CLARKE BOMBE: Andrew, having obviously read my analysis yesterday, flays Clark over his new-found War=Bad stance. Go see the Josh Marshall piece he links for an example of triage spinning.
Enjoy!
Well, it's another Friday and the Llama Butchers hope to start your weekend right. Let's have a look at the menu:
MOM'S SPECIAL: Krautthammer says pretty much the same thing about Bush's space proposal that we've been saying here. The shuttle is nothing more than a U-Haul for "experiments n' stuff." The ISS is a money pit. Scrap 'em and Think Big. Why? Because it's space. Because it's there.
UPDATE: I had thought about taking Andrew Sullivan to task for whining about the price tag, but I see I don't have to. This great piece does it for me! HT to Mr. I Hate Vermouth for passing it along.
WMD FLANK STEAK: Jonah goes after the "Bush Lied!" meme. While I am not nearly as confident now that we will uncover a big WMD haul as I was before, I still believe it's way too early to say we were flat out mistaken. That Bush deliberately made it all up is, of course, preposterous. But politics is the arena of the absurd.
CELEBRITY CHITLINS: Matt Labash bitch-slaps Nicole Ritchie. Heh. I can say with smug pride that I've never set eyes on any of these "reality shows." (I'm such a SSTTTHHHNOB!)
FEVER SWAMP FILET: Meanwhile, Meghan Cox Gurden gives us another breath of hope for the future born from the chaos of the present. I know all about those sequined ruby slippers.
VDH PRIME: Hanson makes the case that the World is even more psychotic than you might think.
CLARKE BOMBE: Andrew, having obviously read my analysis yesterday, flays Clark over his new-found War=Bad stance. Go see the Josh Marshall piece he links for an example of triage spinning.
Enjoy!
Thursday, January 15, 2004
The Hive
Butcher's Wife if off on a girls night out tonight, leaving me to put the maniacs to bed. The worst part of it is story time, because everybody wants theirs read first. At the moment, the reading list is (from oldest to youngest):
- The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
- Madeleine (at least two stories)
- Pajama Time (read at least three times through).
That's not so bad, but try reading all three books at the same time and you tend to get confused:
Then Aslan rolled his great brown eyes towards Madeleine and said, "Jammie to the Left! Jammie to the Right! Jamma, Jamma, Jamma, Jamma, P! J!"
To which Madeleine replied, "Pooh-pooh!"
Wish me luck!
UPDATE: Not so bad. All the girls behaved pretty well. Then, AMC was running "El Dorado." John Wayne, Robert Michtum and Ed Asner. Sensors indicate testosterone now back to acceptable levels, Captain. Ahhhhhh.
Butcher's Wife if off on a girls night out tonight, leaving me to put the maniacs to bed. The worst part of it is story time, because everybody wants theirs read first. At the moment, the reading list is (from oldest to youngest):
- The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
- Madeleine (at least two stories)
- Pajama Time (read at least three times through).
That's not so bad, but try reading all three books at the same time and you tend to get confused:
Then Aslan rolled his great brown eyes towards Madeleine and said, "Jammie to the Left! Jammie to the Right! Jamma, Jamma, Jamma, Jamma, P! J!"
To which Madeleine replied, "Pooh-pooh!"
Wish me luck!
UPDATE: Not so bad. All the girls behaved pretty well. Then, AMC was running "El Dorado." John Wayne, Robert Michtum and Ed Asner. Sensors indicate testosterone now back to acceptable levels, Captain. Ahhhhhh.
Uh, Steve?
Remember how I called you the Master Jedi Blogger yesterday? You may want to revisit your Homeworld. I think you have a problem.
YIPS from Steve--Heh! Seriously, I'm glad they are hacking/ripping the new marching band. How lame, how state-U!
Remember how I called you the Master Jedi Blogger yesterday? You may want to revisit your Homeworld. I think you have a problem.
YIPS from Steve--Heh! Seriously, I'm glad they are hacking/ripping the new marching band. How lame, how state-U!
Today's After 3:00 PM Half-Price Specials
MISSING PERSONS UPDATE: Dave is back, although it seems he's got a lackey doing some of his dirty work now.
GORE EXTENDS LOSING STREAK: Drudge kicks him in the groin again. Sorry, but this is funny and pathetic at the same time.
CLARK SELF-FRAGGING WATCH: Hewitt sticks it to the Gen'l. Money quote: "[T]he elite media have begun to notice that this general might as well have taken up ballet as politics." Yeeouch.
KUFR'!: Allah is a very snarky God, indeed. With pictures!
YOU CAN'T TELL THE CANDIDATES WITHOUT A SCORECARD: Cato the Youngest sets 'em up and knocks 'em down.
WHAT WILL TARANTO DO? Dean Esmay wants us to stop making fun of John "I Served In Vietnam" Kerry. Sorry, Dean, the Committee says we just can't do that.
FROM THE SPIDERHOLE OF SADDAM: Happy Fun Pundit on Hussein's "You've Been (Ji)Had" memo.
FISH IN A BARREL DEPT.: Here. Go ahead and make your own jokes. I'm feeling a twinge of despair.
Aaand,
SPEAKING OF TARANTO: He has been assimilated. Resistance is futile. We are the Blorg.
MISSING PERSONS UPDATE: Dave is back, although it seems he's got a lackey doing some of his dirty work now.
GORE EXTENDS LOSING STREAK: Drudge kicks him in the groin again. Sorry, but this is funny and pathetic at the same time.
CLARK SELF-FRAGGING WATCH: Hewitt sticks it to the Gen'l. Money quote: "[T]he elite media have begun to notice that this general might as well have taken up ballet as politics." Yeeouch.
KUFR'!: Allah is a very snarky God, indeed. With pictures!
YOU CAN'T TELL THE CANDIDATES WITHOUT A SCORECARD: Cato the Youngest sets 'em up and knocks 'em down.
WHAT WILL TARANTO DO? Dean Esmay wants us to stop making fun of John "I Served In Vietnam" Kerry. Sorry, Dean, the Committee says we just can't do that.
FROM THE SPIDERHOLE OF SADDAM: Happy Fun Pundit on Hussein's "You've Been (Ji)Had" memo.
FISH IN A BARREL DEPT.: Here. Go ahead and make your own jokes. I'm feeling a twinge of despair.
Aaand,
SPEAKING OF TARANTO: He has been assimilated. Resistance is futile. We are the Blorg.
And Now For Something Completely Different
This is Moxie. Moxie, this is my Mom. Moxie is very smart and very interesting and blogs lots of personal observations from Loes Ahn-ge-leez. As you can see, she also hangs out with an, er, eclectic group.
I mention this in part because I'm a regular reader and also in part to emphasize again that we Llama Butchers strive to bring you as mixed a salad of, well, "stuff" as we can.
Enjoy!
This is Moxie. Moxie, this is my Mom. Moxie is very smart and very interesting and blogs lots of personal observations from Loes Ahn-ge-leez. As you can see, she also hangs out with an, er, eclectic group.
I mention this in part because I'm a regular reader and also in part to emphasize again that we Llama Butchers strive to bring you as mixed a salad of, well, "stuff" as we can.
Enjoy!
Manliness and Virtue
This is why I read my daughters stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
Think about it.
This is why I read my daughters stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
Think about it.
Yi! More Culture!
Here's an interesting WSJ piece about the Glass Armonica, invented by Ben Franklin. A few years back, I heard a snippet of the Adagio Mozart wrote for the thing. My recollection is very hazy, but my impression was of something slapped together in a hurry to highlight a novelty - much like his Sleigh Bell German Dance featuring bells and bugle.
The instrument itself produces a very strange, otherworldy tone. You can get an idea of what it sounds like by wetting your finger and rubbing it round the rim of a wineglass. When you hit the right frequency, it sets off a series of harmonics that can be gently melded and shaped with a very, very slight alteration of speed and/or pressure.
The trouble with the instrument and any "revival" is that its tonal quality almost guarantees that it will be co-opted by the New Age crowd. Just the sort of mystical, far out, mellow sop they (and by "they" I mean Enya and the whannabies) enjoy most. Think Zamphir.
Nonetheless, and despite a rather improbable theory about Beethoven's health, an interesting article.
Here's an interesting WSJ piece about the Glass Armonica, invented by Ben Franklin. A few years back, I heard a snippet of the Adagio Mozart wrote for the thing. My recollection is very hazy, but my impression was of something slapped together in a hurry to highlight a novelty - much like his Sleigh Bell German Dance featuring bells and bugle.
The instrument itself produces a very strange, otherworldy tone. You can get an idea of what it sounds like by wetting your finger and rubbing it round the rim of a wineglass. When you hit the right frequency, it sets off a series of harmonics that can be gently melded and shaped with a very, very slight alteration of speed and/or pressure.
The trouble with the instrument and any "revival" is that its tonal quality almost guarantees that it will be co-opted by the New Age crowd. Just the sort of mystical, far out, mellow sop they (and by "they" I mean Enya and the whannabies) enjoy most. Think Zamphir.
Nonetheless, and despite a rather improbable theory about Beethoven's health, an interesting article.
The L-B's Get All, You Know, Cultural N' Stuff
Hitch gets back to his literary roots in the Atlantic Monthly with a long analysis of Proust that compares and contrasts some English translations of the Swann cycle.
I confess I've never read Proust and don't know that much more about A la Recherche than the Monty Python sketch alluded to. (Throw away punch line: "Golf's not very popular 'round here.") Nonetheless, reading it is on my list of Things I Ought To Do Someday. You can say what you want about French existential navel-gazing, but Proust is part of the canon and every reasonably educated person ought to have at least a passing knowledge of him. However, I think I am going to have to wait a few years, until the house quiets down and time is not so pressing.
In the meantime, Hitch's article is a first rate piece of literary review. By that, I mean it is well written, closely reasoned, focused on the text of the piece in question, and accessible to both those who are familiar with Proust as well as those, like me, who are not.
Hitch gets back to his literary roots in the Atlantic Monthly with a long analysis of Proust that compares and contrasts some English translations of the Swann cycle.
I confess I've never read Proust and don't know that much more about A la Recherche than the Monty Python sketch alluded to. (Throw away punch line: "Golf's not very popular 'round here.") Nonetheless, reading it is on my list of Things I Ought To Do Someday. You can say what you want about French existential navel-gazing, but Proust is part of the canon and every reasonably educated person ought to have at least a passing knowledge of him. However, I think I am going to have to wait a few years, until the house quiets down and time is not so pressing.
In the meantime, Hitch's article is a first rate piece of literary review. By that, I mean it is well written, closely reasoned, focused on the text of the piece in question, and accessible to both those who are familiar with Proust as well as those, like me, who are not.
Richard Cohen, Read Your History
I suppose I read this guy just to help myself wake up. That jolt of annoyance can do wonders.
Usually, Cohen is empty-headed and preachy. I only link him today because in his chest-heaving praise of Wes Clark, he has (I assume) unintentionally rediscovered that Wesley Clark is 2004's version of George McClellan.
Of course, the background similarities are already there: West Point grad, career officer driven by political ambitions. Handsome, smart, slick, disliked and distrusted by other military men. Etc., etc. But look at this line of attack reported by Cohen. Clark accuses Bush of taking HIS (Clark's) army and throwing it away on unobtainable, unwanted goals in a precipitous manner, using its personnel as pawns or props or dupes. This is exactly what McClellan said about Lincoln and the Army of the Potomac. Exactly the same "How can you throw away MY boys so foolishly" line. By doing this, McClellan hoped to rally both the Southern-sympathizing Copperheads as well as Union soldiers disgruntled by the long and brutal war, a fouled up draft and enlistment system and other complaints.
I think Clark and McClellan share another trait, a combination of political cynicism and bad timing. McClellan started his anti-war campaigning largely in response to Lincoln yanking him from command of the Army of the Potomac (due to his very real incompetence as a field commander). McClellan thought he saw an opening: The war was at something of a low point then, with Union losses at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville still fresh in people's minds. But then came Gettysburg and Vicksburg and the tide began to shift. And while the Union suffered tactical setbacks in the Wilderness campaign of 1864, Grant never lost the strategic initiative. By the time McClellan went into full campaign mode in the fall of 1864, Grant was closing the noose around Lee at Petersburg, Sheridan had decimated the Shenendoah Valley and Sherman was storming through Georgia. While there was still a long slog to go, the sense that the North was in over its head and could not hope for final victory had largely evaporated, to be replaced by a self-confidence and pride in mission that McClellan could not hope to undermine, either among the troops or in the population at large.
I think Clark is headed in the same direction. After some initial waffling last fall, he set himself irreversibly on the path of opposition to the Iraqi war. This was at the height of the "Where's Saddam?" hysteria, and Clark needed to establish himself with the primary-voting Angry Left. But Saddam has been captured and each day things get a little better in Iraq, both for us and for the Iraqis. I think that trend is going to continue. There may be ups and downs, but over the next 10 months I think the benefits of our actions will be unmistakable. (I also think we're going to get a better line on the whole WMD thing.) Furthermore, polls consistently indicate that a sizeable majority of the population supports the war. As things get better, that number is going to rise. Clark can't backtrack now, so he has no choice but to pursue a McClellan-like campaign, huffing out his own chest of medals and getting shriller all the time. At the same time, trying to out-flank Dubya to the right on patriotism is a suicide mission.
Karl Rove's nightmare? I don't think so.
UPDATE: Doug Bandow notes that Wes is no Ike, either. Clark's strategic incomprehension regarding the relative merits of war with Saddam and Milosovic is different, though related to, his McClellanism, and represents yet another way in which he would be hopelessly vulnerable on defense matters this fall.
FURTHER UPDATE: Oops. It should be noted that this kind of thing is pretty much confined to the Internet punditistas now, but I guar-O'hn-TEE this stuff would come back in the fall to bite Clark in the ass.
OTHER FURTHER UPDATE: Joltin' Joe jumps on the Gen'l. Just remember - these guys are on the same team.
OTHER OTHER FURTHER UPDATE: The fighting has begun over just how far Clark has come around on this. Just One Minute jumps into the fray, suggesting Drudge is being overly selective with his quotes. I think, all in all, the best face to be put on Clark's testimony was that he was hedging his bets by saying, in effect, Bush might have grounds to invade Iraq at some nebulous future point, while not committing to an outright endorsement of such an invasion. Maybe Clark didn't think at the time that Bush would actually pull the trigger. Maybe Clark was just covering his ass no matter what happened. But the fact of the matter is, the overall tone of the testimony, coupled with Clark's post Fall of Baghdad op-ed, made it abundantly clear that he was not opposed to the invasion. Maybe not the most enthusiastic supporter, but not an opponent. His problems arise because he has swung so far the other way, insisting that he always opposed the war. That is the contradiction. As I said above, he did that because he needed to secure the Angry Left and he thought he saw an opening. And now he's been caught. Screw 'im, says I.
ABSOLUTELY LAST UPDATE BEFORE WE SPILL INTO ANOTHER POST: Hooboy. Not a good day for the Gen'l. Now Glenn relays a report that Clark is trying to, er, sanitize being relieved from command in the Balkans.
Gentlemen, give this man a pistol and leave him alone. He'll know what he is expected to do.
I suppose I read this guy just to help myself wake up. That jolt of annoyance can do wonders.
Usually, Cohen is empty-headed and preachy. I only link him today because in his chest-heaving praise of Wes Clark, he has (I assume) unintentionally rediscovered that Wesley Clark is 2004's version of George McClellan.
Of course, the background similarities are already there: West Point grad, career officer driven by political ambitions. Handsome, smart, slick, disliked and distrusted by other military men. Etc., etc. But look at this line of attack reported by Cohen. Clark accuses Bush of taking HIS (Clark's) army and throwing it away on unobtainable, unwanted goals in a precipitous manner, using its personnel as pawns or props or dupes. This is exactly what McClellan said about Lincoln and the Army of the Potomac. Exactly the same "How can you throw away MY boys so foolishly" line. By doing this, McClellan hoped to rally both the Southern-sympathizing Copperheads as well as Union soldiers disgruntled by the long and brutal war, a fouled up draft and enlistment system and other complaints.
I think Clark and McClellan share another trait, a combination of political cynicism and bad timing. McClellan started his anti-war campaigning largely in response to Lincoln yanking him from command of the Army of the Potomac (due to his very real incompetence as a field commander). McClellan thought he saw an opening: The war was at something of a low point then, with Union losses at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville still fresh in people's minds. But then came Gettysburg and Vicksburg and the tide began to shift. And while the Union suffered tactical setbacks in the Wilderness campaign of 1864, Grant never lost the strategic initiative. By the time McClellan went into full campaign mode in the fall of 1864, Grant was closing the noose around Lee at Petersburg, Sheridan had decimated the Shenendoah Valley and Sherman was storming through Georgia. While there was still a long slog to go, the sense that the North was in over its head and could not hope for final victory had largely evaporated, to be replaced by a self-confidence and pride in mission that McClellan could not hope to undermine, either among the troops or in the population at large.
I think Clark is headed in the same direction. After some initial waffling last fall, he set himself irreversibly on the path of opposition to the Iraqi war. This was at the height of the "Where's Saddam?" hysteria, and Clark needed to establish himself with the primary-voting Angry Left. But Saddam has been captured and each day things get a little better in Iraq, both for us and for the Iraqis. I think that trend is going to continue. There may be ups and downs, but over the next 10 months I think the benefits of our actions will be unmistakable. (I also think we're going to get a better line on the whole WMD thing.) Furthermore, polls consistently indicate that a sizeable majority of the population supports the war. As things get better, that number is going to rise. Clark can't backtrack now, so he has no choice but to pursue a McClellan-like campaign, huffing out his own chest of medals and getting shriller all the time. At the same time, trying to out-flank Dubya to the right on patriotism is a suicide mission.
Karl Rove's nightmare? I don't think so.
UPDATE: Doug Bandow notes that Wes is no Ike, either. Clark's strategic incomprehension regarding the relative merits of war with Saddam and Milosovic is different, though related to, his McClellanism, and represents yet another way in which he would be hopelessly vulnerable on defense matters this fall.
FURTHER UPDATE: Oops. It should be noted that this kind of thing is pretty much confined to the Internet punditistas now, but I guar-O'hn-TEE this stuff would come back in the fall to bite Clark in the ass.
OTHER FURTHER UPDATE: Joltin' Joe jumps on the Gen'l. Just remember - these guys are on the same team.
OTHER OTHER FURTHER UPDATE: The fighting has begun over just how far Clark has come around on this. Just One Minute jumps into the fray, suggesting Drudge is being overly selective with his quotes. I think, all in all, the best face to be put on Clark's testimony was that he was hedging his bets by saying, in effect, Bush might have grounds to invade Iraq at some nebulous future point, while not committing to an outright endorsement of such an invasion. Maybe Clark didn't think at the time that Bush would actually pull the trigger. Maybe Clark was just covering his ass no matter what happened. But the fact of the matter is, the overall tone of the testimony, coupled with Clark's post Fall of Baghdad op-ed, made it abundantly clear that he was not opposed to the invasion. Maybe not the most enthusiastic supporter, but not an opponent. His problems arise because he has swung so far the other way, insisting that he always opposed the war. That is the contradiction. As I said above, he did that because he needed to secure the Angry Left and he thought he saw an opening. And now he's been caught. Screw 'im, says I.
ABSOLUTELY LAST UPDATE BEFORE WE SPILL INTO ANOTHER POST: Hooboy. Not a good day for the Gen'l. Now Glenn relays a report that Clark is trying to, er, sanitize being relieved from command in the Balkans.
Gentlemen, give this man a pistol and leave him alone. He'll know what he is expected to do.
Technical Update
Steve-O and I sat down together last night in front of his laptop and fiddled with the site. I swear that our right hand column, with photo, email and blogroll, was right up at the top of the screen where it should be. Yet, when I look at my own screen, it's still way down in the basement.
BLEG: Please email us and let us know what YOU see. Something amiss here, but I don't know what. Everything is different, but the same... things are more moderner than before... bigger, and yet smaller... it's computers... San Dimas High School football RULES!
Steve-O and I sat down together last night in front of his laptop and fiddled with the site. I swear that our right hand column, with photo, email and blogroll, was right up at the top of the screen where it should be. Yet, when I look at my own screen, it's still way down in the basement.
BLEG: Please email us and let us know what YOU see. Something amiss here, but I don't know what. Everything is different, but the same... things are more moderner than before... bigger, and yet smaller... it's computers... San Dimas High School football RULES!
Today's Prime Cuts
Lileks gives Dennis Perrin the Cut Direct and instead talks about small town night skies and space dreams. I haven't thought of Nehi in years. Well done, James. Well done.
Dennis Miller illustrates the old adage that a Conservative is a Liberal who has been mugged by reality. I might even give the new show a try.....
George Will defends the Nation State, damns the European Union and wonders whether our efforts to rebuild Iraq are doomed by neo-Wilsonian blindness.
Meanwhile, Peggy wonders whether the adults are about to reassert their authority in the Democratic Party. Mmmmmm....Peggy.......
Finally, Jonah rips Teddy and O'Neill. Sadly, a whole G-File with no Star Trek references, although he does slip in a nice one to The Blues Brothers.
Lileks gives Dennis Perrin the Cut Direct and instead talks about small town night skies and space dreams. I haven't thought of Nehi in years. Well done, James. Well done.
Dennis Miller illustrates the old adage that a Conservative is a Liberal who has been mugged by reality. I might even give the new show a try.....
George Will defends the Nation State, damns the European Union and wonders whether our efforts to rebuild Iraq are doomed by neo-Wilsonian blindness.
Meanwhile, Peggy wonders whether the adults are about to reassert their authority in the Democratic Party. Mmmmmm....Peggy.......
Finally, Jonah rips Teddy and O'Neill. Sadly, a whole G-File with no Star Trek references, although he does slip in a nice one to The Blues Brothers.
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
The Apollo Program: Our National Cathedral
We're sitting here in Rob's basement office, savoring the fun of the last month of Llamabutchering, when Rob asked why I haven't blogged more about the space program.
To me, the greatest public policy failure of the American government over the last thirty years was the canceling of the Apollo Program by President Nixon. Of all Nixon's boneheaded mistakes, this was the big one. Centuries from now, historians will look back on the Apollo program as our magnificent work of engineering artistry. Think about what the great medieval cathedrals represent: magnificent works of art, yes, but art as triumphs of engineering, vast leaps forward in technology in service of faith. Our faith perhaps is different, or the faith that the Apollo program represents is a different one than that which motivated the construction of Chartres or the cathedral in Florence. But each represents a triumph of hope over despair, the perfect melding of technology, engineering, and artistic vision of human achievement.
We need to go back to the Moon because we never should have stopped going. And not in fifteen years. We need to go now.
We're sitting here in Rob's basement office, savoring the fun of the last month of Llamabutchering, when Rob asked why I haven't blogged more about the space program.
To me, the greatest public policy failure of the American government over the last thirty years was the canceling of the Apollo Program by President Nixon. Of all Nixon's boneheaded mistakes, this was the big one. Centuries from now, historians will look back on the Apollo program as our magnificent work of engineering artistry. Think about what the great medieval cathedrals represent: magnificent works of art, yes, but art as triumphs of engineering, vast leaps forward in technology in service of faith. Our faith perhaps is different, or the faith that the Apollo program represents is a different one than that which motivated the construction of Chartres or the cathedral in Florence. But each represents a triumph of hope over despair, the perfect melding of technology, engineering, and artistic vision of human achievement.
We need to go back to the Moon because we never should have stopped going. And not in fifteen years. We need to go now.
Signs Of - Gasp! - Thought In Hollywood
Interesting report by Sean Penn (yes, the actor) from Baghdad.
You'll remember that he went there before the war to do a little "Give Peace A Chance/No Innocent Blood On My Hands" grandstanding.
Well, he went back a year later and now offers his observations on the aftermath of Saddam's demise. What is interesting about his report is that there is in it a grudging but nonetheless real sense that maybe, just maybe, this war has produced some benefits for the Iraqis. Penn won't come out and say this point blank. He cautions (sensibly) that there is still plenty of opportunity to screw things up. And there are plenty of little Bush-bashing snippets to indicate that Penn hasn't retreated from his principled stand. However, it is evident that Penn is really paying some attention to the Iraqis and that his eyes have been opened somewhat as a result:
What's new is this tiny seed and taste of freedom. It is a compelling experience to have been in Baghdad just one year ago, where not a single Iraqi expressed to me opinions outside Baathist party lines, and just one year later, when so many express their opinions and so many opinions compete for attention.
Now the article itself is long-winded, self-centered and unfocused. And Penn is really just a more intense version of the typical self-absorbed Hollywood blowhard. But for someone like him to a) admit that the situation demands more thought than just "no blood for oil" and b) to recognize that there might be some merit to Bush's actions, is really rather refreshing.
Interesting report by Sean Penn (yes, the actor) from Baghdad.
You'll remember that he went there before the war to do a little "Give Peace A Chance/No Innocent Blood On My Hands" grandstanding.
Well, he went back a year later and now offers his observations on the aftermath of Saddam's demise. What is interesting about his report is that there is in it a grudging but nonetheless real sense that maybe, just maybe, this war has produced some benefits for the Iraqis. Penn won't come out and say this point blank. He cautions (sensibly) that there is still plenty of opportunity to screw things up. And there are plenty of little Bush-bashing snippets to indicate that Penn hasn't retreated from his principled stand. However, it is evident that Penn is really paying some attention to the Iraqis and that his eyes have been opened somewhat as a result:
What's new is this tiny seed and taste of freedom. It is a compelling experience to have been in Baghdad just one year ago, where not a single Iraqi expressed to me opinions outside Baathist party lines, and just one year later, when so many express their opinions and so many opinions compete for attention.
Now the article itself is long-winded, self-centered and unfocused. And Penn is really just a more intense version of the typical self-absorbed Hollywood blowhard. But for someone like him to a) admit that the situation demands more thought than just "no blood for oil" and b) to recognize that there might be some merit to Bush's actions, is really rather refreshing.
The Llama Butchers Reach New Heights of Taste and Sophistication
I just happen to know that fellow L-B'er Steve-O is headed for Your Nation's Capitol at the moment.
So while the Master Jedi Blogger is away from his computer, I give you this.
YIPS from Steve: Lawd Gawd, what have we come to...
I just happen to know that fellow L-B'er Steve-O is headed for Your Nation's Capitol at the moment.
So while the Master Jedi Blogger is away from his computer, I give you this.
YIPS from Steve: Lawd Gawd, what have we come to...
Today's After 3:00 PM Half-Price Specials
Mickey Kaus and friends ruminate on that strange, misbegotten beast known as the Kerry Campaign. Their analysis? "E's not completely dead...."
Meanwhile, Josh Marshall posts a snippet of the transcript from Diane Sawyer's interview with Dubya. (Third item down.) Marshall seems to think this clip exposes the weakness of Bush's case for removal of Saddam from power. I think it exposes the fact that Dubya kicked Sawyer's ass.
Crooked Timber has some thoughts on the Clark-Quote Slate article we discussed yesterday, and the reaction generated by it on both the Left and the Right. Stop the presses! Reporters spin things! People see what they want to see!
What is truly remarkable is that, owing to the Internet and blogs, we're actually having this discussion. The Marketplace of Ideas, Baby, in 24/7 realtime!
Dean Esmay relays a question from Lt. Smash to the Glass-Jawed Porcupine. Okay, Howard, we're listening......
Bill at Eject! Eject! Eject! has a great gift idea, guaranteed to keep the patriotic handyman in your life happy for hours and hours.
Oxblog echoes the WaPo's praise of Holy Joe. I'll add my voice to. I don't agree with many of his positions, but I think he's a genuinely decent guy. Made a bad mistake shaking hands with the devil in 2000, but I think Gore's support of Dean is punishment enough for that.
Roger Simon has an interesting statistic on lawyers. I thought everyone was trying to create their own snarky blog!
Bloviating Lefty of the Day. One Dennis Perrin hurls some serious invective at James Lileks. We'll let you know when Lileks rips him a new one. HT to Glenn.
And finally, if you think I'm just plagiarizing Taranto with this daily feature, your wrong. I've assimilated him. We are the Blorg.
Mickey Kaus and friends ruminate on that strange, misbegotten beast known as the Kerry Campaign. Their analysis? "E's not completely dead...."
Meanwhile, Josh Marshall posts a snippet of the transcript from Diane Sawyer's interview with Dubya. (Third item down.) Marshall seems to think this clip exposes the weakness of Bush's case for removal of Saddam from power. I think it exposes the fact that Dubya kicked Sawyer's ass.
Crooked Timber has some thoughts on the Clark-Quote Slate article we discussed yesterday, and the reaction generated by it on both the Left and the Right. Stop the presses! Reporters spin things! People see what they want to see!
What is truly remarkable is that, owing to the Internet and blogs, we're actually having this discussion. The Marketplace of Ideas, Baby, in 24/7 realtime!
Dean Esmay relays a question from Lt. Smash to the Glass-Jawed Porcupine. Okay, Howard, we're listening......
Bill at Eject! Eject! Eject! has a great gift idea, guaranteed to keep the patriotic handyman in your life happy for hours and hours.
Oxblog echoes the WaPo's praise of Holy Joe. I'll add my voice to. I don't agree with many of his positions, but I think he's a genuinely decent guy. Made a bad mistake shaking hands with the devil in 2000, but I think Gore's support of Dean is punishment enough for that.
Roger Simon has an interesting statistic on lawyers. I thought everyone was trying to create their own snarky blog!
Bloviating Lefty of the Day. One Dennis Perrin hurls some serious invective at James Lileks. We'll let you know when Lileks rips him a new one. HT to Glenn.
And finally, if you think I'm just plagiarizing Taranto with this daily feature, your wrong. I've assimilated him. We are the Blorg.
Polls? We got yer stinkin' polls right here!
The margin of error for this one is +/- 4.5%, which in the polling world is the equivalent of "the results are printed on material that doubles as rolling paper." What it generally means is that the sample is pretty small--in this case, about 500 people. But what's more important about polls like this is not how accurately they gauge public opinion at the moment, but how they are used to shape public opinion over the coming days. What this will be used for is to reinforce the "the frontrunner stumbles" meme, which has been brewing for the past three weeks since the good doctor's series of intemperate interviews to various New Hampshire news outlets.
Key quote:
"This is officially a three-way race," Zogby said."
John Zogby was the pollster with the most accurate presidential polls in the 96 and 2000 races; therefore, pronouncements like these, whether actually true, will carry weight in the press corps.
The margin of error for this one is +/- 4.5%, which in the polling world is the equivalent of "the results are printed on material that doubles as rolling paper." What it generally means is that the sample is pretty small--in this case, about 500 people. But what's more important about polls like this is not how accurately they gauge public opinion at the moment, but how they are used to shape public opinion over the coming days. What this will be used for is to reinforce the "the frontrunner stumbles" meme, which has been brewing for the past three weeks since the good doctor's series of intemperate interviews to various New Hampshire news outlets.
Key quote:
"This is officially a three-way race," Zogby said."
John Zogby was the pollster with the most accurate presidential polls in the 96 and 2000 races; therefore, pronouncements like these, whether actually true, will carry weight in the press corps.
Fifth Columnist Watch
Okay, this time it's for real! Zell, baby, there's always a seat for you in our pew!
Okay, this time it's for real! Zell, baby, there's always a seat for you in our pew!
More Scintillating Political Thought From The Left
MoveOn.Org Anti-Bush Ad Awards last night. Drudge is on the case.
MoveOn.Org Anti-Bush Ad Awards last night. Drudge is on the case.
Today in Llamabutcher 101
First week of class fun: today in Legal Theory and Public Policy, I'm starting them out with a wonderful little movie which didn't receive the attention it deserved when it came out: Conspiracy, with Kenneth Branagh and Stanley Tucci. The movie portays the Wanasee Conference in early 1942 that planned the Holocaust: the Nazis, being Nazis, kept minutes of course.
First week of class fun: today in Legal Theory and Public Policy, I'm starting them out with a wonderful little movie which didn't receive the attention it deserved when it came out: Conspiracy, with Kenneth Branagh and Stanley Tucci. The movie portays the Wanasee Conference in early 1942 that planned the Holocaust: the Nazis, being Nazis, kept minutes of course.
Touch This Toy And Die.
So I'm putting together a birthday present for the gel. It's a little plastic teeter-totter with some kind of heavy design on the sides. It looks sort of like what the Ark of the Covenant would have, had God decided to inscribe the Decalogue on a large burrito.
Anyway, I was struck by the warnings included in the assembly instructions. They are a bit, shall we say, hysterical. I suppose this is to ward off the product liability demons. Let's go through them, shall we?
WARNING
- Adult supervision required.
Uh, or what? Will the Social Services S.W.A.T. Team storm the premises? BTW, the whole point of a toy like this is to keep the little urchins occupied while Mom does something selfish like, you know, cook and clean for them.
- Do not leave children unattended.
See above.
- The children should be cautioned against extreme rocking action.
I can see myself talking to the two year old. "Child, I caution you against extreme rocking action." Child responds, "Bttthhhhtttt."
- Shoes must be worn at all times.
You don't live in my house, pardners. That would require a staple gun.
- Maximum total weight limit: 120 lbs.
Okay kids, time for a weigh in. Oops, sorry Kate. I told you not to have that extra slice of cake last night. Go run some laps and sweat it off.
- Maximum weight: 40 lbs (18 kgs) per child. Limit 3 children.
See above. I love the introduction of the metric equivalent here. Now our neighbors to the North will be safe! Well, some of them anyway. Those French-speaking JV Surrender Monkeys are SOL because they won't know to warn their children against extreme rocking action!
Oh, and on the last point, what was the old rallying cry? "Keep Your Laws Off My Body!" Think we're in freakin' China?
- Falls onto hard surfaces could result in head or other serious injuries. Never put on concrete, asphalt, wood or other hard surfaces. Carpet over hard floors may not prevent injury.
Ministry of the Bleeding Obvious bulletin. Bottom line, the world is gonna get you somehow. Did you know that on average 73 people are killed by lightning each year? S'true. Stay away from clouds, man.
CAUTION
- Place this product on level ground at least 6' (1.8 m) away from a fence, building, overhead branches, laundry line or electrical wires. Indoors this product should be placed away from furniture that could cause injury if a fall occurs.
Laundry line? I'd like to see a three year old launch his mate into the air high enough to get fouled on one. That would be kinda cool. Perhaps we could get on "America's Funniest Home Videos."
I was going to put the thing in between the saber-rack and the guillotine. Thanks for pointing out the danger to me!
- When temperature falls below -18 deg C/0 deg F, outdoor use of this product is not recommended. In extreme cold, plastic materials lose resillience and may become brittle and crack upon impact. Store product in a warmer, protected place.
Exactly how many kiddies do you suppose are going to be playing outside when the temperature is zero? Hel-LO, McFLY! Of course, if they find out that plastic becomes brittle and cracks upon impact in such conditions, there's gonna be a sore temptation to start beating each other over the head with the thing just to see what happens! They must never know this scientific principle!
- Instruct children on proper use of this product: only after properly assembled and installed, and not in a manner other than intended. Adult supervision required. Do not leave child unattended.
(Sic.) I don't really know what the first sentence means. "Child, only use this product after properly assembled and installed and not in a manner other than intended." I think that translates into "Don't beat each other over the head with the thing to see if the brittle plastic will crack upon impact. I don't care how cold it is." But I will never know because I am going to ignore the second part of this instruction and leave the children unattended! BWA-Ha-Ha-Ha-Haaaaa!!! (Wha-? Oh, yes Officer, I was only fooling. Look at me supervise! Child! Go up and down! Up and down! But No Extreme Rocking Action!!)
Ah, me. That was fun. BTW, the actual name of this toy is the "Naturally Playful Teeter Totter." Natural-Born Killer Teeter from Hell, sounds like to me.
So I'm putting together a birthday present for the gel. It's a little plastic teeter-totter with some kind of heavy design on the sides. It looks sort of like what the Ark of the Covenant would have, had God decided to inscribe the Decalogue on a large burrito.
Anyway, I was struck by the warnings included in the assembly instructions. They are a bit, shall we say, hysterical. I suppose this is to ward off the product liability demons. Let's go through them, shall we?
WARNING
- Adult supervision required.
Uh, or what? Will the Social Services S.W.A.T. Team storm the premises? BTW, the whole point of a toy like this is to keep the little urchins occupied while Mom does something selfish like, you know, cook and clean for them.
- Do not leave children unattended.
See above.
- The children should be cautioned against extreme rocking action.
I can see myself talking to the two year old. "Child, I caution you against extreme rocking action." Child responds, "Bttthhhhtttt."
- Shoes must be worn at all times.
You don't live in my house, pardners. That would require a staple gun.
- Maximum total weight limit: 120 lbs.
Okay kids, time for a weigh in. Oops, sorry Kate. I told you not to have that extra slice of cake last night. Go run some laps and sweat it off.
- Maximum weight: 40 lbs (18 kgs) per child. Limit 3 children.
See above. I love the introduction of the metric equivalent here. Now our neighbors to the North will be safe! Well, some of them anyway. Those French-speaking JV Surrender Monkeys are SOL because they won't know to warn their children against extreme rocking action!
Oh, and on the last point, what was the old rallying cry? "Keep Your Laws Off My Body!" Think we're in freakin' China?
- Falls onto hard surfaces could result in head or other serious injuries. Never put on concrete, asphalt, wood or other hard surfaces. Carpet over hard floors may not prevent injury.
Ministry of the Bleeding Obvious bulletin. Bottom line, the world is gonna get you somehow. Did you know that on average 73 people are killed by lightning each year? S'true. Stay away from clouds, man.
CAUTION
- Place this product on level ground at least 6' (1.8 m) away from a fence, building, overhead branches, laundry line or electrical wires. Indoors this product should be placed away from furniture that could cause injury if a fall occurs.
Laundry line? I'd like to see a three year old launch his mate into the air high enough to get fouled on one. That would be kinda cool. Perhaps we could get on "America's Funniest Home Videos."
I was going to put the thing in between the saber-rack and the guillotine. Thanks for pointing out the danger to me!
- When temperature falls below -18 deg C/0 deg F, outdoor use of this product is not recommended. In extreme cold, plastic materials lose resillience and may become brittle and crack upon impact. Store product in a warmer, protected place.
Exactly how many kiddies do you suppose are going to be playing outside when the temperature is zero? Hel-LO, McFLY! Of course, if they find out that plastic becomes brittle and cracks upon impact in such conditions, there's gonna be a sore temptation to start beating each other over the head with the thing just to see what happens! They must never know this scientific principle!
- Instruct children on proper use of this product: only after properly assembled and installed, and not in a manner other than intended. Adult supervision required. Do not leave child unattended.
(Sic.) I don't really know what the first sentence means. "Child, only use this product after properly assembled and installed and not in a manner other than intended." I think that translates into "Don't beat each other over the head with the thing to see if the brittle plastic will crack upon impact. I don't care how cold it is." But I will never know because I am going to ignore the second part of this instruction and leave the children unattended! BWA-Ha-Ha-Ha-Haaaaa!!! (Wha-? Oh, yes Officer, I was only fooling. Look at me supervise! Child! Go up and down! Up and down! But No Extreme Rocking Action!!)
Ah, me. That was fun. BTW, the actual name of this toy is the "Naturally Playful Teeter Totter." Natural-Born Killer Teeter from Hell, sounds like to me.
Happy Birthday, Boots!
My youngest gel turns two today. I was going to say "smallest", but that would not be entirely accurate. At visit to the doc yesterday, it was determined that the kid weighs 33 pounds! This is only two pounds less than my four year old, fer chrissakes. And She's thirty-something inches tall, as well. This puts her off the charts.
Actually, I think this is a more accurate form of measurement. The girl is an F5 - the Toddler of God. Climbs like a monkey and can't keep her hands off anything. But what a charmer - biggest, bluest eyes ya ever saw.
Anyway, Happy Birthday indeed!
My youngest gel turns two today. I was going to say "smallest", but that would not be entirely accurate. At visit to the doc yesterday, it was determined that the kid weighs 33 pounds! This is only two pounds less than my four year old, fer chrissakes. And She's thirty-something inches tall, as well. This puts her off the charts.
Actually, I think this is a more accurate form of measurement. The girl is an F5 - the Toddler of God. Climbs like a monkey and can't keep her hands off anything. But what a charmer - biggest, bluest eyes ya ever saw.
Anyway, Happy Birthday indeed!
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
Is this the stooopidest law of all time?
You make the call. There's some obvious First Amendment issues here. But even better, think of how this could be a Rankin & Bass cartoon? "Santa Claus aint comin' to town, Timmy, because those gaudy lights are payin' the bills for Osama!"
Hat tip to the indispensable BitchGirls, via the Federalist Society blog. [The Federalist Society blog? What's next? www.georgesoroskittystories.geocities.com? www.vincemacmahon'spoliticalmusingsand poetry.blogspot.com?]
You make the call. There's some obvious First Amendment issues here. But even better, think of how this could be a Rankin & Bass cartoon? "Santa Claus aint comin' to town, Timmy, because those gaudy lights are payin' the bills for Osama!"
Hat tip to the indispensable BitchGirls, via the Federalist Society blog. [The Federalist Society blog? What's next? www.georgesoroskittystories.geocities.com? www.vincemacmahon'spoliticalmusingsand poetry.blogspot.com?]
Harder than a grad school comp
The Guardian has their Simpson's trivia test. Just the sort of cutting edge international linkage we've come to rely on from Oxblog.
The Guardian has their Simpson's trivia test. Just the sort of cutting edge international linkage we've come to rely on from Oxblog.
Apres Moi Alert
This week's Bonfire of the Vanities is up. Lots of bloggy, um, goodies to sample. I particularly liked the Commissar's Iowa Hilton find, but Mom and the gang at St. John's shouldn't go there.
Dunno why Glenn Reynolds doesn't post these things anymore. Now I have to remember the damn' host site each week! But maybe if we email Glenn to ask him, he might link us! Yeah, then we could have a big ol' Llama Instalanche! Whaddaya think, Steve-O?
This week's Bonfire of the Vanities is up. Lots of bloggy, um, goodies to sample. I particularly liked the Commissar's Iowa Hilton find, but Mom and the gang at St. John's shouldn't go there.
Dunno why Glenn Reynolds doesn't post these things anymore. Now I have to remember the damn' host site each week! But maybe if we email Glenn to ask him, he might link us! Yeah, then we could have a big ol' Llama Instalanche! Whaddaya think, Steve-O?
Quotations From General Clark
This suggests Clark is giving Dean a serious run for the Open Mouth, Insert Boot award.
On the other hand, here is a Lefty Fisking of the article. (Scroll down a bit. They have the same problem we do about archive links.) He basically accuses the Slate writer of slamming Clark by making him sound as intemperate as Dean in order to make Dean look better. How making Clark sound more like Dean is going to make Dean look better remains to be seen...but...oh, hell, I don't know. You figure it out.
All I can say is - Hey! What happened to the Unity Pledge?
Oh, and HT to Glenn. Pleeease, Mr. Reynolds! Mention us! We'll do anything! Freshen that Puppy for ya?
YIPS from Steve: LOUD SLAPPING NOISE! Git a held of yerself, mon!
This suggests Clark is giving Dean a serious run for the Open Mouth, Insert Boot award.
On the other hand, here is a Lefty Fisking of the article. (Scroll down a bit. They have the same problem we do about archive links.) He basically accuses the Slate writer of slamming Clark by making him sound as intemperate as Dean in order to make Dean look better. How making Clark sound more like Dean is going to make Dean look better remains to be seen...but...oh, hell, I don't know. You figure it out.
All I can say is - Hey! What happened to the Unity Pledge?
Oh, and HT to Glenn. Pleeease, Mr. Reynolds! Mention us! We'll do anything! Freshen that Puppy for ya?
YIPS from Steve: LOUD SLAPPING NOISE! Git a held of yerself, mon!
Who says being an ex-Red Sox fan makes you bitter?
He's back too.....
Fatboy has signed with the Astros, ending his three-month retirement from the Yankees.
Good news all around:
1. The odds that the Boss will have that stroke he's been putting off have increased exponentially;
2. Fatboy will now have to pitch in the National League, which means he'll have to bat. Look for every catcher--particularly this guy--to call nothing but high and tight above the neck curve balls at his Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade float of a head.
Fatboy has signed with the Astros, ending his three-month retirement from the Yankees.
Good news all around:
1. The odds that the Boss will have that stroke he's been putting off have increased exponentially;
2. Fatboy will now have to pitch in the National League, which means he'll have to bat. Look for every catcher--particularly this guy--to call nothing but high and tight above the neck curve balls at his Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade float of a head.
After 3:00 PM Half-Price Specials
Frank J. (is this two days in a row?) reports that Rachel Corrie (aka "St. Pancake") has won Little Green Footballs' coveted Idiotarian of the Year Award.
No word yet on whether she also gets a Darwin, but I'd have to believe she's a strong contender.
UPDATE: Swamp City has the answer to the question: How can the Democrats get the Shhwiing vote. (Make sure to check out the photos at the bottom. If you have to ask, you don't get it.) HT to Jeff Jarvis, who ought to know better.
FURTHER UPDATE: I think Josh Claybourn has found the perfect running mate for Paris. Campaign motto: "Both of us. You know you want it."
NON-SKANK UPDATE: It's BABWAA!!!
GEN'L UPDATE: Via Scrappleface. But will he get us drinks of water, too?
YIPS from Steve: For once, Allah's not pissed, and is pleased with Rachel Corrie's award--He even has a link to a pic advertising the "Rachel Corrie Memorial Pancake Buffet Breakfast."
Frank J. (is this two days in a row?) reports that Rachel Corrie (aka "St. Pancake") has won Little Green Footballs' coveted Idiotarian of the Year Award.
No word yet on whether she also gets a Darwin, but I'd have to believe she's a strong contender.
UPDATE: Swamp City has the answer to the question: How can the Democrats get the Shhwiing vote. (Make sure to check out the photos at the bottom. If you have to ask, you don't get it.) HT to Jeff Jarvis, who ought to know better.
FURTHER UPDATE: I think Josh Claybourn has found the perfect running mate for Paris. Campaign motto: "Both of us. You know you want it."
NON-SKANK UPDATE: It's BABWAA!!!
GEN'L UPDATE: Via Scrappleface. But will he get us drinks of water, too?
YIPS from Steve: For once, Allah's not pissed, and is pleased with Rachel Corrie's award--He even has a link to a pic advertising the "Rachel Corrie Memorial Pancake Buffet Breakfast."
Department of Rope-A-Dope
Is O'Neill really a Karl Rove operative? Balloon Juice examines the evidence. Gotta admit, it answers a whoooooole lot of questions.
Via Glenn.
UPDATE: His work done, O'Neill attempted to implement his exit strategy on the Today Show this morning. Will he get back to his rubber boat on the shores of Democrat Land before the border guards catch up to him? You be the judge. The transcript is too long to copy here, so big HT to K-Lo over in The Corner.
Even if he gets away, he's likely to be shot within sight of the GOP home base.
FURTHER UPDATE: Stephen Green observes our man paddling like hell. I kinda envision something like Robert Redford's big regatta scene here, only in reverse. And this time, both sides are shooting at him. But doesn't one go to hell for saying Hail Mary's backwards?
YIPS from Steve: That scene, and most of A Bridge Too Far. was wrecked for me when watching it a few years back, I noticed there standing right next to Robert Redford, is John Ratzenberger (aka Cliff of Cheers). He even has a line, which just ruins the whole thing.
And what's the deal with a Hail Marie?
EXTRA-FURTHER UPDATE: Taranto describes the results of O'Neill's covert ops. Krugman swallowed the bait so hard, the barb is protruding out of his ass.
Hail Marie? Ahm French! Wha do yu dink Ah hav theese out-RAG-ous accend, yu seely King-hu?
Is O'Neill really a Karl Rove operative? Balloon Juice examines the evidence. Gotta admit, it answers a whoooooole lot of questions.
Via Glenn.
UPDATE: His work done, O'Neill attempted to implement his exit strategy on the Today Show this morning. Will he get back to his rubber boat on the shores of Democrat Land before the border guards catch up to him? You be the judge. The transcript is too long to copy here, so big HT to K-Lo over in The Corner.
Even if he gets away, he's likely to be shot within sight of the GOP home base.
FURTHER UPDATE: Stephen Green observes our man paddling like hell. I kinda envision something like Robert Redford's big regatta scene here, only in reverse. And this time, both sides are shooting at him. But doesn't one go to hell for saying Hail Mary's backwards?
YIPS from Steve: That scene, and most of A Bridge Too Far. was wrecked for me when watching it a few years back, I noticed there standing right next to Robert Redford, is John Ratzenberger (aka Cliff of Cheers). He even has a line, which just ruins the whole thing.
And what's the deal with a Hail Marie?
EXTRA-FURTHER UPDATE: Taranto describes the results of O'Neill's covert ops. Krugman swallowed the bait so hard, the barb is protruding out of his ass.
Hail Marie? Ahm French! Wha do yu dink Ah hav theese out-RAG-ous accend, yu seely King-hu?
Department of, well, it's the Arab News, so what do you expect?
Notice how murdering three-thousand people out of hatred for their religion doesn't qualify as bigotry.
Notice how murdering three-thousand people out of hatred for their religion doesn't qualify as bigotry.
Battleship Potemkin goes to Tehran
Something's going to give soon:
Something's going to give soon:
Those excluded from the election include his younger brother, Mohammad Reza Khatami, who leads the Islamic Iran Participation Front, the largest reform party.
In an appeal against the ban, he wrote: "I do not believe in a vision of the Islamic republic that does not take into account the wishes of the people. I am accused of not respecting Islam. This is a very serious accusation, and if whoever accused me of this cannot prove it he should pay in this life and the next. I am a war invalid, and I am accused of not being loyal to the Islamic republic."
At an emergency conference held in his party's office in Tehran, MPs took turns to express their anger. Mohammad Rezaei, a veteran of the Iran-Iraq war, denounced the hardline clerics, recalling their readiness to send young boys to walk across minefields during the conflict.
"I was a general and was given 15 young boys who I was told wanted to die for their country," he said. The clerics "didn't care then and they don't care now about the public".
United Nations Department of Moral Bankruptcy
Tomorrow's news today: The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the UN is blocking the arrest of an Indonesian general for war crimes in East Timor.
What, not enough paperclips?
Remind me why we need this organization to provide legitimacy in Iraq?
Tomorrow's news today: The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the UN is blocking the arrest of an Indonesian general for war crimes in East Timor.
East Timor's chief prosecutor has accused the United Nations of blocking an arrest warrant for war crimes against Wiranto, the Indonesian general who is a front-runner for presidential elections in July.
"There are no legal obstacles, only political obstacles, both in Indonesia and East Timor," Longuinhos Monteiro said.
But Mr Monteiro said he was closer to obtaining the warrant, and an Interpol warrant, for the former military chief, which would lead to his arrest if he travels abroad.
Wiranto is one of eight senior officers charged with directing crimes against humanity during Indonesia's bloody exit from East Timor in 1999.
International judges working for the United Nations in Dili refused to issue the warrants when requested last February, but the prosecutor appealed, and recently secured one for a Wiranto henchman, Colonel Yayat Sudrajat.
Mr Monteiro said the same UN-funded judges are now delaying the other seven cases. They say they can issue only one warrant at a time, he said, and are insisting each Interpol warrant must be issued before they approve the next one.
What, not enough paperclips?
Remind me why we need this organization to provide legitimacy in Iraq?
Department of Wishful Thinking
More cutting edge political analysis from the Democratic Undergound.
Let me repeat: Bush is very beatable. Every incumbent is. However, if they want to win, this isn't the way to do it.
More cutting edge political analysis from the Democratic Undergound.
Let me repeat: Bush is very beatable. Every incumbent is. However, if they want to win, this isn't the way to do it.
The Llama Butchers
See what we have to offer? One stop shopping! Scroll down and you'll see politics, arts, family tales, culture, sports and the merits of Battlestar Galactica. (Steve-O, you're wrong! And I could crush you like a bug in that debate...)
Someone asked me recently, "Terrence, what IS a Llama Butcher?" It is a good question: Are we butchers who specialize in llamas? Or are we llamas that like to, er, butcher things. Well, we're a little confused about that ourselves. Makes it tricky to figure out which end of the knife to hold, I can tell you that.
So tell all your friends to come and read us as we come to terms with this crisis of identity. One thing is for sure, we will always remain Meaty, Woolly, Snippy.
YIP YIP YIP YIP YIP
YIPS from Steve: If we are butchers who specialize in llama, well our motto could be "30% more llama bits in every bite!" But I'm partial to the thought of Llamas wielding cleavers---imagine how the history of the world would have turned out differently if llamas had opposable thumbs. Can you imagine the look on the face of the ol' Spaniards as an entire herd of axe-wielding llamas came thundering down out of the Andes?
BTW, forget the aircraft carrier, I think I know what you want for yer birthday, but I for one aint getting it.
YIP YIP YIP Back from Robbo - That is way cool. Any chance of getting one with Athena in it? Mmmmmm....Athena......
YIPS from Steve: Llamas? We got yer stinkin' llamas right here--in love, no less!
See what we have to offer? One stop shopping! Scroll down and you'll see politics, arts, family tales, culture, sports and the merits of Battlestar Galactica. (Steve-O, you're wrong! And I could crush you like a bug in that debate...)
Someone asked me recently, "Terrence, what IS a Llama Butcher?" It is a good question: Are we butchers who specialize in llamas? Or are we llamas that like to, er, butcher things. Well, we're a little confused about that ourselves. Makes it tricky to figure out which end of the knife to hold, I can tell you that.
So tell all your friends to come and read us as we come to terms with this crisis of identity. One thing is for sure, we will always remain Meaty, Woolly, Snippy.
YIP YIP YIP YIP YIP
YIPS from Steve: If we are butchers who specialize in llama, well our motto could be "30% more llama bits in every bite!" But I'm partial to the thought of Llamas wielding cleavers---imagine how the history of the world would have turned out differently if llamas had opposable thumbs. Can you imagine the look on the face of the ol' Spaniards as an entire herd of axe-wielding llamas came thundering down out of the Andes?
BTW, forget the aircraft carrier, I think I know what you want for yer birthday, but I for one aint getting it.
YIP YIP YIP Back from Robbo - That is way cool. Any chance of getting one with Athena in it? Mmmmmm....Athena......
YIPS from Steve: Llamas? We got yer stinkin' llamas right here--in love, no less!
Go 'FINS!
This is nice to see. The man was easily the greatest QB in the history of the planet. Let's see if he's Front Office material as well. Any chance to get him a Dolphins Super Bowl ring gets my support.
And lest Steve-O starts making snarky remarks about the number of football posts I do today, let me just say that I'm simply gonna update this one when Easterbrook's TMQ gets put up.
UPDATE: Here ya go. Gregg also piles on Favre for his game/season-losing heave-ho into the unknown.
YIPS from Steve: I read this without clicking the links and thought to my self, "Hey, it's great to hear Fran Tarkenton is coming out of retirement!"
This is nice to see. The man was easily the greatest QB in the history of the planet. Let's see if he's Front Office material as well. Any chance to get him a Dolphins Super Bowl ring gets my support.
And lest Steve-O starts making snarky remarks about the number of football posts I do today, let me just say that I'm simply gonna update this one when Easterbrook's TMQ gets put up.
UPDATE: Here ya go. Gregg also piles on Favre for his game/season-losing heave-ho into the unknown.
YIPS from Steve: I read this without clicking the links and thought to my self, "Hey, it's great to hear Fran Tarkenton is coming out of retirement!"
Glass-jawed porcupine update
Washington Post: Dean Goes on Offensive in Iowa: Democrat 'Tired of Being a Pincushion'
One of the themes we've been following is how the dynamics of media coverage play out during the primary season. Since the drama of the melting of Muskie in 1972 and the unexpected 1976 insurgency of Jimmy Carter, the primary narrative has been the dance of the frontrunner and the outsider. Carter ran "against" Washington, carrying on a theme made modern by George Wallace in 68 and 72, although of course to different ends. Since that time, every president, with the exception of Bush 41, has run "against" the Washington "establishment." So the dramatic appeal of the "outsider" candidate is bankable. Yet the key is not to become the "frontrunner" too early, as an entirely different set of expectations and scrutiny are placed on the leader. McCain never became the frontrunner, and so was able to maintain the aura of the affable independent outsider [even though he was a long-time sitting Senator]; had GW Bush faltered in Fall 1999, the rose-hued coverage that McCain received would have slowly evaporated, replaced with stories along the lines of whether he had the temperament to be president. Colorful, affable, to a certain degree unpredictable [ie "straight-talkin'"] candidates are encouraged because they provide balance and leaven the coverage; but if they rise to the lead, they have to be prepared for the changing dynamic in which they are covered and perceived. Bill Clinton was a master at this. And, as it's becoming painfully clear, Dr. Dean is not.
The campaign in Iowa remains extremely fluid, with many undecided voters. Dean's decision to push back against his opponents underscored concerns among his advisers and supporters that he has spent too much time on the defensive in recent weeks and that he has sometimes appeared rattled by rivals' attacks and lackluster in debate.
Dean's advisers have worried for some time about how other candidates can gang up on him. On Monday, Dean explained his new, more aggressive posture by saying, "I'm tired of being a pincushion here."
Theme for the next 48 hours of news: waaaa. Seriously, the question I'm sure that is being asked is does Dean have what it takes to be president? Stories like this pile on his being slapped silly by Al Sharpton at the debate the other night. Being president requires taking unpopular stands and making controversial decisions that open one up to intense criticism, both foreign and domestic. How can he handle that, if he can't handle sharp questions from... Dennis Kucinich?
Seeking to recapture the mantle of the anti-establishment outsider and to stoke the enthusiasm of a grass-roots movement he is counting on to deliver him a victory next Monday and elsewhere, Dean struck back.
Never a good theme to be caught in: this is part of the classic "the front-runner stumbles" meme.
"We need real change, and we don't just need a change in presidents," Dean said at a pancake breakfast here Monday morning. "We need a change in Washington, and we're not going to get it by electing someone from Washington."
So I guess that rules out Patty Murray as VP.
Here's the sign that Dean's in real trouble with the press:
Although he has been declared the Democratic front-runner and holds a strong lead in New Hampshire, Dean is in a tight race in Iowa.
One of the keys in politics is controlling and managing expectations: all the great ones know/knew this, all the lousy ones are baffled by it. What this sentence shows is that the Dean people have lost control of defining their man's expectations: the standard is now that he has to win BIG in Iowa, and if he doesn't, if he wins by a close margin, it's actually a loss. Why? Because they didn't seize the opportunity before Christmas to define their expectations well.
With polls showing him roughly even with Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (Mo.), and with Sens. John F. Kerry (Mass.) and John Edwards (N.C.) behind them, each hopes to spring a surprise next week.
See? And now the coup de grace:
A loss by Dean could change the dynamic of the Democratic race, and far from embracing a front-runner's strategy of soaring above the fray, Dean mentioned all his main rivals by name.
Damn right it would. So how do you fight back? The great ones---Lincoln, FDR, Reagan, Clinton---would have used some humor, a little bit of self effacement, recognizing the key here is to win back the press. Remember, the good doctor was the media darling for all of 2003. So what's the smart strategy? Ah yes: lash out at the press:
Dean said that "Washington politicians and the established press . . . have attacked us for months." He added that although his rivals "want to say they are against the establishment, they are the establishment."
That's the way to get the David Broders and Howie Kurtzs and Eleanor Clifts and Margaret Carlsons and Judy Woodruffs back on your side. Smart.
Now what's the point of all this, it's not like anyone from the Dean camp reads critical blogs, does it?
Except when the candidate reveals that he's a fan of Stephen Green:
And here's the glass-jawed porcupine yesterday:
As they say, advantage Vodkapundit!
Another continuing theme: when you find yourself in a hole, stop digging!!!! Jeebus this is so basic:
He said he plans to spend the next week trying to "hammer" back against what he described as a barrage of attacks motivated by fear of the radical change he would bring to the capital. He said Monday's sharper tone fits his temperament. "It goes to a pattern I have," he said of his critics and his response Monday. "I let 'em pass for a while, and then I really try to hammer" his accusers.
Dean did not dispute a suggestion that he had a lackluster performance in Sunday's debate, but he pronounced himself energized because "the more people attack me, that rejuvenates me."
The problem here for the good doctor is that you know the press pool has a bet going: who can get Dean to blow his top on camera? Bating the, er, porcupine if you will. Don't think they're not going to try? What do you think was behind the whole "test Dubya about foreign leaders to show he's a doofus" stunt in 2000?
Washington Post: Dean Goes on Offensive in Iowa: Democrat 'Tired of Being a Pincushion'
One of the themes we've been following is how the dynamics of media coverage play out during the primary season. Since the drama of the melting of Muskie in 1972 and the unexpected 1976 insurgency of Jimmy Carter, the primary narrative has been the dance of the frontrunner and the outsider. Carter ran "against" Washington, carrying on a theme made modern by George Wallace in 68 and 72, although of course to different ends. Since that time, every president, with the exception of Bush 41, has run "against" the Washington "establishment." So the dramatic appeal of the "outsider" candidate is bankable. Yet the key is not to become the "frontrunner" too early, as an entirely different set of expectations and scrutiny are placed on the leader. McCain never became the frontrunner, and so was able to maintain the aura of the affable independent outsider [even though he was a long-time sitting Senator]; had GW Bush faltered in Fall 1999, the rose-hued coverage that McCain received would have slowly evaporated, replaced with stories along the lines of whether he had the temperament to be president. Colorful, affable, to a certain degree unpredictable [ie "straight-talkin'"] candidates are encouraged because they provide balance and leaven the coverage; but if they rise to the lead, they have to be prepared for the changing dynamic in which they are covered and perceived. Bill Clinton was a master at this. And, as it's becoming painfully clear, Dr. Dean is not.
The campaign in Iowa remains extremely fluid, with many undecided voters. Dean's decision to push back against his opponents underscored concerns among his advisers and supporters that he has spent too much time on the defensive in recent weeks and that he has sometimes appeared rattled by rivals' attacks and lackluster in debate.
Dean's advisers have worried for some time about how other candidates can gang up on him. On Monday, Dean explained his new, more aggressive posture by saying, "I'm tired of being a pincushion here."
Theme for the next 48 hours of news: waaaa. Seriously, the question I'm sure that is being asked is does Dean have what it takes to be president? Stories like this pile on his being slapped silly by Al Sharpton at the debate the other night. Being president requires taking unpopular stands and making controversial decisions that open one up to intense criticism, both foreign and domestic. How can he handle that, if he can't handle sharp questions from... Dennis Kucinich?
Seeking to recapture the mantle of the anti-establishment outsider and to stoke the enthusiasm of a grass-roots movement he is counting on to deliver him a victory next Monday and elsewhere, Dean struck back.
Never a good theme to be caught in: this is part of the classic "the front-runner stumbles" meme.
"We need real change, and we don't just need a change in presidents," Dean said at a pancake breakfast here Monday morning. "We need a change in Washington, and we're not going to get it by electing someone from Washington."
So I guess that rules out Patty Murray as VP.
Here's the sign that Dean's in real trouble with the press:
Although he has been declared the Democratic front-runner and holds a strong lead in New Hampshire, Dean is in a tight race in Iowa.
One of the keys in politics is controlling and managing expectations: all the great ones know/knew this, all the lousy ones are baffled by it. What this sentence shows is that the Dean people have lost control of defining their man's expectations: the standard is now that he has to win BIG in Iowa, and if he doesn't, if he wins by a close margin, it's actually a loss. Why? Because they didn't seize the opportunity before Christmas to define their expectations well.
With polls showing him roughly even with Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (Mo.), and with Sens. John F. Kerry (Mass.) and John Edwards (N.C.) behind them, each hopes to spring a surprise next week.
See? And now the coup de grace:
A loss by Dean could change the dynamic of the Democratic race, and far from embracing a front-runner's strategy of soaring above the fray, Dean mentioned all his main rivals by name.
Damn right it would. So how do you fight back? The great ones---Lincoln, FDR, Reagan, Clinton---would have used some humor, a little bit of self effacement, recognizing the key here is to win back the press. Remember, the good doctor was the media darling for all of 2003. So what's the smart strategy? Ah yes: lash out at the press:
Dean said that "Washington politicians and the established press . . . have attacked us for months." He added that although his rivals "want to say they are against the establishment, they are the establishment."
That's the way to get the David Broders and Howie Kurtzs and Eleanor Clifts and Margaret Carlsons and Judy Woodruffs back on your side. Smart.
Now what's the point of all this, it's not like anyone from the Dean camp reads critical blogs, does it?
Except when the candidate reveals that he's a fan of Stephen Green:
VodkaPundit, Dec. 29: Naturally then, the guy at the front of the pack is going to find a lot of buckshot in his ass. That, too, is the nature of politics. It's also completely natural for the frontrunner to want complain a bit about being everyone's favorite target. But I can't think of an instance where a primary leader publicly complained to (and about!) the party leadership.
And here's the glass-jawed porcupine yesterday:
Dean seemed particularly annoyed with the campaign tactics of Gephardt, who has said that Dean would not protect Social Security and Medicare. "Don't believe any of that stuff you get in your mailbox about me," Dean told one senior citizen in Sigourney. "They're filling me full of buckshot."
As they say, advantage Vodkapundit!
Another continuing theme: when you find yourself in a hole, stop digging!!!! Jeebus this is so basic:
He said he plans to spend the next week trying to "hammer" back against what he described as a barrage of attacks motivated by fear of the radical change he would bring to the capital. He said Monday's sharper tone fits his temperament. "It goes to a pattern I have," he said of his critics and his response Monday. "I let 'em pass for a while, and then I really try to hammer" his accusers.
Dean did not dispute a suggestion that he had a lackluster performance in Sunday's debate, but he pronounced himself energized because "the more people attack me, that rejuvenates me."
The problem here for the good doctor is that you know the press pool has a bet going: who can get Dean to blow his top on camera? Bating the, er, porcupine if you will. Don't think they're not going to try? What do you think was behind the whole "test Dubya about foreign leaders to show he's a doofus" stunt in 2000?
Tuesday's Prime Rib Special
Go see Lileks today for a fond and accurate description of bathtime with the daughter. (I believe his Gnat is 3 and change.) While we don't play music in the bath, the combined voices of my own three girls howling at the top of their lungs more than compensates. And it is exactly the same rehash of the day's inputs. Last night, the older two were taking turns playing teacher and giving each other "lessons." Tonight, they'll probably play doctor, as two of them have checkups today. All three of them have taken to playing PowerPuff Girls of late.
I hear ya, James. I hear ya.
Go see Lileks today for a fond and accurate description of bathtime with the daughter. (I believe his Gnat is 3 and change.) While we don't play music in the bath, the combined voices of my own three girls howling at the top of their lungs more than compensates. And it is exactly the same rehash of the day's inputs. Last night, the older two were taking turns playing teacher and giving each other "lessons." Tonight, they'll probably play doctor, as two of them have checkups today. All three of them have taken to playing PowerPuff Girls of late.
I hear ya, James. I hear ya.
Red Planet Land Rush
As long as we're channeling Glenn, check out his Mars colonization article over at TechCentralStation. He makes the same point that I did a week or two ago: If the government cannot or will not (two different things entirely) proceed forward with a serious plan to colonize Mars (or the Moon, for that matter), it should step out of the way and allow/encourage private ventures to do so.
I think this is exactly right and support Glenn's position even though he both dissed Battlestar Galactica and admitted he worked on Gore's '88 campaign - all in the same column.
YIP YIP YIP from Steve: Um, Battlestar Galactica, well, stunk. And I was the president [and only member of] the "HAIG 88" campaign at Wes, so I guess I deserve to be piled on too. Although I will say, that the quickest way to get private colonization of the Moon going will need to involve the Nike Corporation. Think about it for a second--how much would aging baby-boomer types be willing to pay to go and play basketball at Nike's low-gravity basketball camp? You could get aging basketball stars there--it would be the ultimate fantasy camp! Even Ben & Jerry could slam dunk on the moon. Not to mention the driving range possibilities. Obviously, Alan Shepard is my inspiration here. People thought his golf shot on the moon helped kill the Apollo program, and maybe it did. But maybe it was just pointing to the future. The serious point here is that space tourism could provide the money and interest to fund scientific and other endeavors.
As long as we're channeling Glenn, check out his Mars colonization article over at TechCentralStation. He makes the same point that I did a week or two ago: If the government cannot or will not (two different things entirely) proceed forward with a serious plan to colonize Mars (or the Moon, for that matter), it should step out of the way and allow/encourage private ventures to do so.
I think this is exactly right and support Glenn's position even though he both dissed Battlestar Galactica and admitted he worked on Gore's '88 campaign - all in the same column.
YIP YIP YIP from Steve: Um, Battlestar Galactica, well, stunk. And I was the president [and only member of] the "HAIG 88" campaign at Wes, so I guess I deserve to be piled on too. Although I will say, that the quickest way to get private colonization of the Moon going will need to involve the Nike Corporation. Think about it for a second--how much would aging baby-boomer types be willing to pay to go and play basketball at Nike's low-gravity basketball camp? You could get aging basketball stars there--it would be the ultimate fantasy camp! Even Ben & Jerry could slam dunk on the moon. Not to mention the driving range possibilities. Obviously, Alan Shepard is my inspiration here. People thought his golf shot on the moon helped kill the Apollo program, and maybe it did. But maybe it was just pointing to the future. The serious point here is that space tourism could provide the money and interest to fund scientific and other endeavors.
Bloggy Update
Glenn notes the return of Tom Maguire's JustOneMinute, a blog always well worth a read.
Glenn notes the return of Tom Maguire's JustOneMinute, a blog always well worth a read.
Monday, January 12, 2004
"Time To Move The Books" - Gratuitous Escapist Fiction Plug
There is nothing I enjoy more than fiddling with the organization of my library. I've never counted the books, so I really have no idea how many I have. 800 plus or minus might be a reasonable guess. (Well, it's supposed to snow later in the week, so maybe we'll find out.) I have it divided into fiction and non-fiction sections, but I cheat by putting my Aubrey/Maturin and Hornblower collections in with the non-fiction Royal Navy materials. Same deal with my Shaara Civil War books. I tell myself this is acceptable because these are Special Cases, but I don't really believe this. An overhaul may be in order.
Aaaanyway, I would include in the list of underrated authors the great P.G. Wodehouse. Oh sure, everyone says how much they enjoy his books, but I don't think many people appreciate the sheer genius involved in their creation. This is probably due to the fact that they are just farces, and therefore not to be taken seriously. But they are also masterpieces of comic timing, dialogue and plot, all flowing seamlessly, with very very few wrong notes or missteps.
Stop and consider how much work it actually takes to create that kind of effect. It's like performing Mozart (not that Mozart is insubstantial) - you must be quick and light and seemingly effortless. Any sign of laboring, rushing or "trying too hard" and you are doomed. The music falls flat. But, ironically, the only way to achieve that seeming effortlessness is to work like hell in rehearsals.
Wodehouse knew the same thing. Someone once asked him how he wrote. "Oh, I don't know," he replied, "I just sit down at the typewriter and swear a bit." A typical off-hand remark covering his labors. The man slaved over his books. He is reported to have pinned the draft pages of stories around his office in a ring on the wall. Any pages he didn't like he'd put higher or lower than the rest, or pin up crookedly. One by one, he'd go through and fix them until he had a perfectly aligned ring. And bear in mind that the man wrote over 100 novels, as well as short stories, musicals and screenplays.
A true gem. And not to be dismissed simply because he is not "weighty" enough. Evelyn Waugh praised Wodehouse precisely for his ability to create an idyllic world which would never fade, giving us a permanent refuge in which to escape the ravages of real life from time to time.
In fact, there is even a modest bone for political junkies like Steve-O. Wodehouse pretty much stayed out of politics, but he did base one of his characters, Roderick Spode, on Sir Oswald Mosely, the British fascist leader in the 30's. Spode makes his first appearance in The Code of the Woosters, and what Wodehouse does with him is priceless. I heartily recommend the book.
Anyway, if we're going to have an Underrated Light Fiction Category, here's the man who should be at the top of the list.
(Oh, I've also got a nominee for the "Never Mind" category here.)
There is nothing I enjoy more than fiddling with the organization of my library. I've never counted the books, so I really have no idea how many I have. 800 plus or minus might be a reasonable guess. (Well, it's supposed to snow later in the week, so maybe we'll find out.) I have it divided into fiction and non-fiction sections, but I cheat by putting my Aubrey/Maturin and Hornblower collections in with the non-fiction Royal Navy materials. Same deal with my Shaara Civil War books. I tell myself this is acceptable because these are Special Cases, but I don't really believe this. An overhaul may be in order.
Aaaanyway, I would include in the list of underrated authors the great P.G. Wodehouse. Oh sure, everyone says how much they enjoy his books, but I don't think many people appreciate the sheer genius involved in their creation. This is probably due to the fact that they are just farces, and therefore not to be taken seriously. But they are also masterpieces of comic timing, dialogue and plot, all flowing seamlessly, with very very few wrong notes or missteps.
Stop and consider how much work it actually takes to create that kind of effect. It's like performing Mozart (not that Mozart is insubstantial) - you must be quick and light and seemingly effortless. Any sign of laboring, rushing or "trying too hard" and you are doomed. The music falls flat. But, ironically, the only way to achieve that seeming effortlessness is to work like hell in rehearsals.
Wodehouse knew the same thing. Someone once asked him how he wrote. "Oh, I don't know," he replied, "I just sit down at the typewriter and swear a bit." A typical off-hand remark covering his labors. The man slaved over his books. He is reported to have pinned the draft pages of stories around his office in a ring on the wall. Any pages he didn't like he'd put higher or lower than the rest, or pin up crookedly. One by one, he'd go through and fix them until he had a perfectly aligned ring. And bear in mind that the man wrote over 100 novels, as well as short stories, musicals and screenplays.
A true gem. And not to be dismissed simply because he is not "weighty" enough. Evelyn Waugh praised Wodehouse precisely for his ability to create an idyllic world which would never fade, giving us a permanent refuge in which to escape the ravages of real life from time to time.
In fact, there is even a modest bone for political junkies like Steve-O. Wodehouse pretty much stayed out of politics, but he did base one of his characters, Roderick Spode, on Sir Oswald Mosely, the British fascist leader in the 30's. Spode makes his first appearance in The Code of the Woosters, and what Wodehouse does with him is priceless. I heartily recommend the book.
Anyway, if we're going to have an Underrated Light Fiction Category, here's the man who should be at the top of the list.
(Oh, I've also got a nominee for the "Never Mind" category here.)
The Stylish Road to Serfdom
As part of my "time to move the books" basement blogging yesterday, I was going to do a short piece on folks who were underrated: the top of the list was Freidrich Hayek and R.G. Collingwood. But Virginia Postrel beat me to the punch.
As part of my "time to move the books" basement blogging yesterday, I was going to do a short piece on folks who were underrated: the top of the list was Freidrich Hayek and R.G. Collingwood. But Virginia Postrel beat me to the punch.
Gee-whiz, Opie, I'm sure glad we got that there campaign finance reform thing-ee!
More rantings from our favorite Bond villain.
More rantings from our favorite Bond villain.
Holy Doomsday Scenarios, Batman!
Want to render your nights sleepless? Want some inspiration to move to Ottumwa, Iowa? Feel you have got kinda slack about stockpiling ductape and clear plastic sheets? Check out this site.
Brought to you courtesy of Allah.
Want to render your nights sleepless? Want some inspiration to move to Ottumwa, Iowa? Feel you have got kinda slack about stockpiling ductape and clear plastic sheets? Check out this site.
Brought to you courtesy of Allah.
Rule #3 of primary politics
Rule #1 as we've discussed is the front runner is ALWAYS attacked. Always. You have to be prepared and focused.
Rule #2 is that if you are in a hole, stop digging.
Rule #3 has been revised: remember that you aren't supposed to pick fights with people who buy ink by the barrel? That goes triple with those who push pixels by the minute, and have the transcripts to what you orignially said.
Rule #1 as we've discussed is the front runner is ALWAYS attacked. Always. You have to be prepared and focused.
Rule #2 is that if you are in a hole, stop digging.
Rule #3 has been revised: remember that you aren't supposed to pick fights with people who buy ink by the barrel? That goes triple with those who push pixels by the minute, and have the transcripts to what you orignially said.
More debate recap
As Robbo continues to blog about football, I keep returning to last night's debate. Quoth the New York Post:
if he isn't ready to debate Al Sharpton, how can he out debate George Bush?
Ouch.
As Robbo continues to blog about football, I keep returning to last night's debate. Quoth the New York Post:
if he isn't ready to debate Al Sharpton, how can he out debate George Bush?
Ouch.
Welcome back, Mindles Dreck!
Everyone's favorite mystery man at Jane Galt's is back and vicious as ever.
See?
Everyone's favorite mystery man at Jane Galt's is back and vicious as ever.
See?
Broken windows in Baghdad this spring?
More from the indispensable Phil Carter, on whether the spring troop rotation might bring about a new offensive in Iraq.
More from the indispensable Phil Carter, on whether the spring troop rotation might bring about a new offensive in Iraq.
Today's After 3:00 PM Half-Price Special
Frank J channels the future presidency of the Glass-Jawed Porcupine. Basically, it's Night of the Living Dead on the Planet of the Apes.
Be afraid.
Frank J channels the future presidency of the Glass-Jawed Porcupine. Basically, it's Night of the Living Dead on the Planet of the Apes.
Be afraid.
The Day's Second Football Post
Not only that, I am throwing down the gauntlet in front of one of the sport's best writers. Dr. Z attributes the Rams' double-overtime loss to Carolina on Saturday to some weird calls and poor strategy on the part of St. Louis head coach Mike Martz.
Actually, it's simpler than that: The Rams got down to first and goal inside the ten on three straight drives in the first quarter. In each instance, Carolina forced them to settle for a field goal. Result? 9 points instead of 21. There's your trouble.
Not only that, I am throwing down the gauntlet in front of one of the sport's best writers. Dr. Z attributes the Rams' double-overtime loss to Carolina on Saturday to some weird calls and poor strategy on the part of St. Louis head coach Mike Martz.
Actually, it's simpler than that: The Rams got down to first and goal inside the ten on three straight drives in the first quarter. In each instance, Carolina forced them to settle for a field goal. Result? 9 points instead of 21. There's your trouble.
More Lies About Iraq and Oil!
Nope, it's not Dubya THIS time!
HT to Glenn.
UPDATE: Drudge says Treasury is launching a probe of O'Neill over some of the documents he is seen with in the big CBS interview. Here is the link. Memo to O'Neill. If you're going to swipe classified documents labelled "Secret", don't let yourself be shown on national television with them. Dumbhead.
Nope, it's not Dubya THIS time!
HT to Glenn.
UPDATE: Drudge says Treasury is launching a probe of O'Neill over some of the documents he is seen with in the big CBS interview. Here is the link. Memo to O'Neill. If you're going to swipe classified documents labelled "Secret", don't let yourself be shown on national television with them. Dumbhead.
LlamaButcher's Wacky World of Nature
The latest from the Endangered Species Act...and were the crows eating snail darters?
The latest from the Endangered Species Act...and were the crows eating snail darters?
Illegal Immigration Watch Update
I don't know why exactly I keep coming back to this, but I do. I suppose it's because this is the first I've seen one of Dubya's initiatives split conservative friends and family in quite some time. (Translation: The Butcher's Wife thinks I'm nuts for supporting it.)
Anyhoo, a nice piece by Tamar Jacoby in the WSJ today. The Administration has three basic choices regarding the long-festering immigration problem. First, it can simply ignore it, maintaining the status quo while maybe fiddling a bit around the edges. Second, it can round up all of the illegals and throw them out. This is physically impossible and politically insane. Third, it can try to jump start resolution of the problem with a set of proposals designed to take advantage of the energies these people bring to the economy, while at the same time, alleviating some of the awful conditions under which, as an illegal caste, they live.
Dubya, being Dubya, is going for option three. Jacoby says this is positively Reaganesque. I agree.
I don't know why exactly I keep coming back to this, but I do. I suppose it's because this is the first I've seen one of Dubya's initiatives split conservative friends and family in quite some time. (Translation: The Butcher's Wife thinks I'm nuts for supporting it.)
Anyhoo, a nice piece by Tamar Jacoby in the WSJ today. The Administration has three basic choices regarding the long-festering immigration problem. First, it can simply ignore it, maintaining the status quo while maybe fiddling a bit around the edges. Second, it can round up all of the illegals and throw them out. This is physically impossible and politically insane. Third, it can try to jump start resolution of the problem with a set of proposals designed to take advantage of the energies these people bring to the economy, while at the same time, alleviating some of the awful conditions under which, as an illegal caste, they live.
Dubya, being Dubya, is going for option three. Jacoby says this is positively Reaganesque. I agree.
More on the "Bush=Hitler" meme
I'll have to admit this BusHitler stuff has gotten under my skin a bit, so let's take a gander at what the National Socialist German Worker's Party had as part of their platform:
[from the Avalon Project at the Yale Law School Library, an excellent trove of resources]
Why blog this? From an early age, calling someone a "Nazi" was always considered to be beyond the pale, to be reserved for someone who was actually, well, a Nazi [and therefore someone whose teeth should be kicked in]. I've always sided with the Blues Brothers and Indiana Jones on this one: "Nazis! I hate the Nazis." I've always tried to avoid what Andrew Sullivan once referred to as the reductio ad hitlerum.
So am I equating the views of the Democratic Party with that of the NSDP? Absolutely not. It's just my way of saying "STOP" before it really starts getting ugly.
BONUS LINKS! Avalon's Nuremberg page--lots of good stuff to read and remember.
I'll have to admit this BusHitler stuff has gotten under my skin a bit, so let's take a gander at what the National Socialist German Worker's Party had as part of their platform:
[from the Avalon Project at the Yale Law School Library, an excellent trove of resources]
Program of the National Socialist German Workers' Party
7. We demand that the State shall above all undertake to ensure that every citizen shall have the possibility of living decently and earning a livelihood. If it should not be possible to feed the whole population, then aliens (non-citizens) must be expelled from the Reich.
8. Any further immigration of non-Germans must be prevented. We demand that all non-Germans who have entered Germany since August 2, 1914, shall be compelled to leave the Reich immediately.
9. All citizens must possess equal rights and duties.
10. The first duty of every citizen must be to work mentally or physically. No individual shall do any work that offends against the interest of the community to the benefit of all.
Therefore we demand:
11. That all unearned income, and all income that does not arise from work, be abolished.
Breaking the Bondage of Interest
12. Since every war imposes on the people fearful sacrifices in blood and treasure, all personal profit arising from the war must be regarded as treason to the people We therefore demand the total confiscation of all war profits.
13. We demand the nationalization of all trusts.
14. We demand profit-sharing in large industries.
15. We demand a generous increase in old-age pensions.
16. We demand the creation and maintenance of a sound middle-class, the immediate communalization of large stores which will be rented cheaply to small tradespeople, and the strongest consideration must be given to ensure that small traders shall deliver the supplies needed by the State, the provinces and municipalities.
17. We demand an agrarian reform in accordance with our national requirements, and the enactment of a law to expropriate the owners without compensation of any land needed for the common purpose. The abolition of ground rents, and the prohibition of all speculation in land.
18. We demand that ruthless war be waged against those who work to the injury of the common welfare. Traitors, usurers, profiteers, etc., are to be punished with death, regardless of creed or race.
20. In order to make it possible for every capable and industrious German to obtain higher education, and thus the opportunity to reach into positions of leadership, the State must assume the responsibility of organizing thoroughly the entire cultural system of the people The curricula of all educational establishments shall be adapted to practical life. The conception of the State Idea (science of citizenship) must be taught in the schools from the very beginning. We demand that specially talented children of poor parents, whatever their station or occupation, be educated at the expense of the State.
21. The State has the duty to help raise the standard of national health by providing maternity welfare centers, by prohibiting juvenile labor, by increasing physical fitness through the introduction of compulsory games and gymnastics, and by the greatest possible encouragement of associations concerned with the physical education of the young.
Why blog this? From an early age, calling someone a "Nazi" was always considered to be beyond the pale, to be reserved for someone who was actually, well, a Nazi [and therefore someone whose teeth should be kicked in]. I've always sided with the Blues Brothers and Indiana Jones on this one: "Nazis! I hate the Nazis." I've always tried to avoid what Andrew Sullivan once referred to as the reductio ad hitlerum.
So am I equating the views of the Democratic Party with that of the NSDP? Absolutely not. It's just my way of saying "STOP" before it really starts getting ugly.
BONUS LINKS! Avalon's Nuremberg page--lots of good stuff to read and remember.
Blogger Notes
Kate has a report on the latest it's-not-my-fault psychological addiction - yes, Internet addiction!
But what are some of the pros of spending all your time communicating electronically? Well, I know one: Last week, I had to do some work that involved watching a videotape of myself talking (don't ask). It wasn't until then and there that I realized what a first class dork I really look like. But you'll never know, right?
So whenever you try to imagine me in the future, just use this as your model. We'll both be better off.
Kate has a report on the latest it's-not-my-fault psychological addiction - yes, Internet addiction!
But what are some of the pros of spending all your time communicating electronically? Well, I know one: Last week, I had to do some work that involved watching a videotape of myself talking (don't ask). It wasn't until then and there that I realized what a first class dork I really look like. But you'll never know, right?
So whenever you try to imagine me in the future, just use this as your model. We'll both be better off.
The Rev strikes back
The Democrats held their "Brown and Black" debate last night: funny, I thought "brown and black" were the official colors of this party....
Best exchange:
I can't wait for his prime time speech at the convention: it should be about as effective and absolutely hilarious as Pat Buchanan's were in 92 and 96.
UPDATE: Byron York comments.
The Democrats held their "Brown and Black" debate last night: funny, I thought "brown and black" were the official colors of this party....
Best exchange:
"While I respect the fact you brought race into this campaign, you ought to talk freely and openly about whether you went out of the box to try to do something about race in your home state and have experience with working with blacks and browns at peer level, not as just friends you might have had in college," Sharpton said. ...
Moments later, Dean noted that he has the endorsements of more members of the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus than any other presidential hopeful.
But Sharpton ridiculed that, saying, "I think you only need co-signers if your credit is bad."
I can't wait for his prime time speech at the convention: it should be about as effective and absolutely hilarious as Pat Buchanan's were in 92 and 96.
UPDATE: Byron York comments.
DEAN TO VOTER: SHUT'CHER PIE HOLE
GLASS JAWED PORCUPINE UPDATE: Howard Dean loses it in Iowa.
Money quote: "You sit down. You had your say. Now I'm going to have my say."
GLASS JAWED PORCUPINE UPDATE: Howard Dean loses it in Iowa.
Money quote: "You sit down. You had your say. Now I'm going to have my say."
Meaty. Woolly. Snippy.
In the mail: "Nice blog, Andy. But what about the llamas?"
Good question, Mom. And here is your one-stop shopping answer. I'll bet you didn't know that llamas can both vote and play golf.
S'true.
In the mail: "Nice blog, Andy. But what about the llamas?"
Good question, Mom. And here is your one-stop shopping answer. I'll bet you didn't know that llamas can both vote and play golf.
S'true.
The Football Gods Are Revenged
Just wanted to point this out as a little morality lesson.
Two years ago, I watched the Giants/Packers game in which Michael Strahan broke the NFL's single season sack record. On the play, Packers QB Brett Favre basically took a dive, allowing Strahan to fall on him and then bask in glory.
That always irked me. A guy's 22nd sack ought to be as hard-earned as his 1st. Can you imagine a batter deliberately fanning to allow the other team's pitcher a perfect game? Favre just rolled and fell. He could have scrambled. He could have thrown the ball away. He shouldn't have made it a gimme.
Well, the Football Gods got him back last night. Packers vs Eagles in a see-saw game. Packers 1st possession in overtime and they're beginning to march a bit. But then the Eagles send what looks like a left-side blitz that collapses the Packers O-line. Favre, one of the sport's best QB's, suddenly has three men coming at him clean and what does he do? Heaves the ugliest high school kid dying duck I've ever seen. (I never, never want to hear criticism of Jay Fiedler on this point again.) Ball is nowhere near his receiver and floats right into a defensive back's hands. Eagles march downfield, kick a field goal and win the game. Eagles go to the championship game. Packers go home.
Okay, Brett, now it's even.
UPDATE: Peter King agrees, giving Favre the Goat of the Week Award. He is also, well, non-committal about Joe Gibbs' ensnarement by Danny "Sauron" Snyder. I'm tellin' ya here and now, folks, it'll all end in tears.
Just wanted to point this out as a little morality lesson.
Two years ago, I watched the Giants/Packers game in which Michael Strahan broke the NFL's single season sack record. On the play, Packers QB Brett Favre basically took a dive, allowing Strahan to fall on him and then bask in glory.
That always irked me. A guy's 22nd sack ought to be as hard-earned as his 1st. Can you imagine a batter deliberately fanning to allow the other team's pitcher a perfect game? Favre just rolled and fell. He could have scrambled. He could have thrown the ball away. He shouldn't have made it a gimme.
Well, the Football Gods got him back last night. Packers vs Eagles in a see-saw game. Packers 1st possession in overtime and they're beginning to march a bit. But then the Eagles send what looks like a left-side blitz that collapses the Packers O-line. Favre, one of the sport's best QB's, suddenly has three men coming at him clean and what does he do? Heaves the ugliest high school kid dying duck I've ever seen. (I never, never want to hear criticism of Jay Fiedler on this point again.) Ball is nowhere near his receiver and floats right into a defensive back's hands. Eagles march downfield, kick a field goal and win the game. Eagles go to the championship game. Packers go home.
Okay, Brett, now it's even.
UPDATE: Peter King agrees, giving Favre the Goat of the Week Award. He is also, well, non-committal about Joe Gibbs' ensnarement by Danny "Sauron" Snyder. I'm tellin' ya here and now, folks, it'll all end in tears.
Sunday, January 11, 2004
Real pros
You got to hand it to the folks at the Concord Monitor, they really know how to get a presidential candidate to make a jackass out of himself.
Today's candidate in the crapstorm to be: Wesley Clark .
(Is he signing on Ray Lewis as his SecDef?)
You got to hand it to the folks at the Concord Monitor, they really know how to get a presidential candidate to make a jackass out of himself.
Today's candidate in the crapstorm to be: Wesley Clark .
(Is he signing on Ray Lewis as his SecDef?)
Does Hallmark have a card for everything?
National Voodoo day is upon us. And me without any chicken heads lying about...
National Voodoo day is upon us. And me without any chicken heads lying about...
What to get the guy who has everything, including the desire to bomb France?
My fellow Llama Robbo is turning forty this year, and while planning is afoot for the festivities, I finally found the perfect gift.
YIP YIP WHAAAA? Yo, Sparky, the big 4-0 is next year! Ain't dead yet. But that is one seriously cool gift. I love you, man!
My fellow Llama Robbo is turning forty this year, and while planning is afoot for the festivities, I finally found the perfect gift.
YIP YIP WHAAAA? Yo, Sparky, the big 4-0 is next year! Ain't dead yet. But that is one seriously cool gift. I love you, man!
Osama, the MMR vacine, and how the CIA killed Diana
Ladies and gentlemen, the Arab News on why we get the conspiracy theories we deserve.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Arab News on why we get the conspiracy theories we deserve.
Tomorrow's news today, or something like that
The latest from the Department of the Completely Predictable, the people who brought you, "hey, if we release dangerous predatory animals into parks, who do you think they'll eat?"
The latest from the Department of the Completely Predictable, the people who brought you, "hey, if we release dangerous predatory animals into parks, who do you think they'll eat?"
Blogging from the basement
Haven't indulged the blog this weekend--the move from the upstairs office to the new basement office has been the main event around here, with the chief problem being moving the books. Mrs. Llama suggested letting gravity work to my advantage and just throw them out the window. Instead, I tricked the two oldest into a game of who could make the most trips down to the basement, a race in which the eldest gleefully would streak by yelling "I'm eight ahead of you Daddy!" Ah, feigned distress: the corkscrew in the Swiss Army knife of fatherhood.
This afternoon has been spent sucking: using the industrial strength Shop-Vac to cleanse the books of dust. Anal, you say? Sure, but not as bad as using it to clean the inside of the computer. [Okay, I did that too.] It was actually fun to spend some time with the books. I'm not sure how many there are (at least a thousand would be a good guess, or fifty stacks of twenty), but a good portion of the time went to reorganizing them. I keep a separate shelf of wrong books--conspiracy theory books, nutty stuff, plus books that were just plain wrong. I keep the conspiracy books for two reasons: one is that they are absolutely hilarious, in a vile and evil way. Second is to quite honestly keep them out of circulation. I keep these books on a separate shelf, so that they can't talk to the other books. I also keep books that have turned out to be wrong. My favorite one is The Soviet Economy: Toward the Year 2000, for obvious reasons. It's a sentimental favorite, as it was a required text in a junior year undergraduate econ class, The Economics of Centrally Planned Economies. I can't remember what exactly I got in the class--a C sounds about right--but I was constantly getting myself in trouble with the professor for asking "inappropriate" questions, and when I used Hayek, Schumpeter, Friedman, and von Mises as the core elements of a final paper predicting trouble for the Yugoslavian economic and political system [this was the fall of 1986], let's just say it wasn't very well received. I've decided to officially promote Paul Kennedy's The Rise and Fall of Great Powers to the wrong shelf. His analysis of the decline and fall of the European first and second empire periods since the rise of the nation state is interesting and cogent; however, when he extends this analysis into the present [of 1989] and the future, let's just say he's more than a little off. Let me check out the window: Japanese shogunate ruling the world? Ah, no. Glasnost working for the Soviet Union? Ummm. America's economic strength dwindling? Errrr.
I guess they have different standards for tenure and promotion at Yale.
Haven't indulged the blog this weekend--the move from the upstairs office to the new basement office has been the main event around here, with the chief problem being moving the books. Mrs. Llama suggested letting gravity work to my advantage and just throw them out the window. Instead, I tricked the two oldest into a game of who could make the most trips down to the basement, a race in which the eldest gleefully would streak by yelling "I'm eight ahead of you Daddy!" Ah, feigned distress: the corkscrew in the Swiss Army knife of fatherhood.
This afternoon has been spent sucking: using the industrial strength Shop-Vac to cleanse the books of dust. Anal, you say? Sure, but not as bad as using it to clean the inside of the computer. [Okay, I did that too.] It was actually fun to spend some time with the books. I'm not sure how many there are (at least a thousand would be a good guess, or fifty stacks of twenty), but a good portion of the time went to reorganizing them. I keep a separate shelf of wrong books--conspiracy theory books, nutty stuff, plus books that were just plain wrong. I keep the conspiracy books for two reasons: one is that they are absolutely hilarious, in a vile and evil way. Second is to quite honestly keep them out of circulation. I keep these books on a separate shelf, so that they can't talk to the other books. I also keep books that have turned out to be wrong. My favorite one is The Soviet Economy: Toward the Year 2000, for obvious reasons. It's a sentimental favorite, as it was a required text in a junior year undergraduate econ class, The Economics of Centrally Planned Economies. I can't remember what exactly I got in the class--a C sounds about right--but I was constantly getting myself in trouble with the professor for asking "inappropriate" questions, and when I used Hayek, Schumpeter, Friedman, and von Mises as the core elements of a final paper predicting trouble for the Yugoslavian economic and political system [this was the fall of 1986], let's just say it wasn't very well received. I've decided to officially promote Paul Kennedy's The Rise and Fall of Great Powers to the wrong shelf. His analysis of the decline and fall of the European first and second empire periods since the rise of the nation state is interesting and cogent; however, when he extends this analysis into the present [of 1989] and the future, let's just say he's more than a little off. Let me check out the window: Japanese shogunate ruling the world? Ah, no. Glasnost working for the Soviet Union? Ummm. America's economic strength dwindling? Errrr.
I guess they have different standards for tenure and promotion at Yale.
Saturday, January 10, 2004
BTW
Spent the evening trying to put together a new bicycle for my four-year-old's birthday tomorrow (er, today). Normally, I like assembling toys, furniture, whatever. But there is something inherently eviiiil about yer basic bike. Dunno what it is: having to pump up the tires, fiddling with the saddle so it doesn't throw the kid off, all that business of adjusting the handbrake. Some combination of tasks puts bike assembly in its own special class. Well, I'm like Peter Lorre on this one. It's not a preddy peecture! I don' like doin' it! After all that effort, all I'm saying is that if she doesn't win the Tour de France this year, she's getting a spanking.
DOMESTIC BLOGGING UPDATE: Earlier, I described Two of Three's habit of giving me kisses on the cheek. These have now officially become "bumblebee kisses." She says, and I quote, "Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, SMACK!"
Alright, I won't spank her if she doesn't win the Tour. Top ten will be good enough.
Ain't I a pushover?
Spent the evening trying to put together a new bicycle for my four-year-old's birthday tomorrow (er, today). Normally, I like assembling toys, furniture, whatever. But there is something inherently eviiiil about yer basic bike. Dunno what it is: having to pump up the tires, fiddling with the saddle so it doesn't throw the kid off, all that business of adjusting the handbrake. Some combination of tasks puts bike assembly in its own special class. Well, I'm like Peter Lorre on this one. It's not a preddy peecture! I don' like doin' it! After all that effort, all I'm saying is that if she doesn't win the Tour de France this year, she's getting a spanking.
DOMESTIC BLOGGING UPDATE: Earlier, I described Two of Three's habit of giving me kisses on the cheek. These have now officially become "bumblebee kisses." She says, and I quote, "Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, SMACK!"
Alright, I won't spank her if she doesn't win the Tour. Top ten will be good enough.
Ain't I a pushover?
The Plot Thickens
It certainly seems as if there are at least some tremors in the Dem field and that Dean, who looked to coast in very recently, may face more opposition than we anticipated earlier.
Professor Steve? I godda question. Let's suppose for the moment that I am correct that the Clinton/McCauliffe cabal put Clark in as a placeholder while the Dean/Gore wing imploded during the general election. Suddenly, it looks like Dean is coming down with a bad case of frontrunneritis and Clark may have an outside shot at the nomination. If he gets it, tho, either a win or a loss in the general election would be terrible for the ambitions of Hillary Rodham Clinton Rodham.
Okay, so the question is: What would Hillary do? Stick with the assumption laid out above that a Clark nomination would be disastrous for her future plans. Do you cut Clark's throat by disavowing any support? Or do you try to discretely rehabilitate Dean? Or do you just lay low, let the candidates duke it out, then, in effect, go to bed with whomever emerges as the winner, hoping you can turn their support to your own personal gain.
All this on the next edition of Hill Eye for the POTUS Try!
YIP YIP YIP from Steve: Remember, it's Saran-Wrap for the hat, not tin foil. Otherwise you pick up dangerous frequencies....
It certainly seems as if there are at least some tremors in the Dem field and that Dean, who looked to coast in very recently, may face more opposition than we anticipated earlier.
Professor Steve? I godda question. Let's suppose for the moment that I am correct that the Clinton/McCauliffe cabal put Clark in as a placeholder while the Dean/Gore wing imploded during the general election. Suddenly, it looks like Dean is coming down with a bad case of frontrunneritis and Clark may have an outside shot at the nomination. If he gets it, tho, either a win or a loss in the general election would be terrible for the ambitions of Hillary Rodham Clinton Rodham.
Okay, so the question is: What would Hillary do? Stick with the assumption laid out above that a Clark nomination would be disastrous for her future plans. Do you cut Clark's throat by disavowing any support? Or do you try to discretely rehabilitate Dean? Or do you just lay low, let the candidates duke it out, then, in effect, go to bed with whomever emerges as the winner, hoping you can turn their support to your own personal gain.
All this on the next edition of Hill Eye for the POTUS Try!
YIP YIP YIP from Steve: Remember, it's Saran-Wrap for the hat, not tin foil. Otherwise you pick up dangerous frequencies....
Capricorn Two
Happy Fun Pundit asks the science question of the moment: "Is There Life on Mars? And does it take the form of vastly overrated pop divas?"
Actually, HFP is onto more than he may realize here: Barbra Streisand is married to James Brolin, who of course led OJ Simpson and Law & Order's Sam Waterson on the fake mission to Mars in perhaps the world's all time greatest bad movie, Capricorn One.
Happy Fun Pundit asks the science question of the moment: "Is There Life on Mars? And does it take the form of vastly overrated pop divas?"
Actually, HFP is onto more than he may realize here: Barbra Streisand is married to James Brolin, who of course led OJ Simpson and Law & Order's Sam Waterson on the fake mission to Mars in perhaps the world's all time greatest bad movie, Capricorn One.
Trouble in paradise
Allah's
Allah's