Sitting Keanu

(probably need to clickabiggen)

Strange nobody's done this yet. No matter, I'll take the low hanging fruit.

Here's a wish-I'd-thought-of-it:

Twilight

I let the kid go out at midnight to see the new vampire romance. Remember when you had the energy to do that sort of thing? Yeah, me either.

Can't say I've been interested in vampires since Buffy, but you won't find me running down Twilight. These days I'm just happy to see anything that isn't trying to teach me some profound moral truth.

Drunk on Debt

Artists Are Angry!

Demonstrators pour oil and feathers outside the entrance to the Tate Britain gallery, in London, which is hosting the Tate Britain summer party, as part of a protest against BP sponsorship of the arts.

Silly artists. Protesting against donations to the Tate seems a little stupid. Protesting it by making a mess crosses over into nutso territory.

At least it doesn't look as if any good artists were involved.

Cat Lassie

h/t: NRO

Caution: Romantic Music

Turns out that if you're an average man, playing this music will improve your chances of getting the phone number of the young woman listening to it. (from 28% to 52%)

EurekAlert:

Women were more prepared to give their number to an 'average' young man after listening to romantic background music, according to research that appears today in the journal Psychology of Music, published by SAGE.

So French scientists have finally caught up with American teenage boys. Well, we never had lab coats and clipboards, so we didn't do the math; but just about all American boys know that you play Barry White for romance, and the Beach Boys to make them drive faster. Also, play Barry White out of one speaker and the Beach Boys out of the other if you want them to drive fast and leave with the policeman who pulls you over. Experience shows that there is no music that can reliably induce them into cleaning your chainsaw. (though polkas work to get them into the kitchen, provided you're playing the polka in the living room)

The Shrew

Link:

Not terribly safe for work, but funny.

Waiting Game

via

Joe Biden Stimulates T-Shirt Sales

From a suggestion over at NRO: a new t-shirt design.

I'm sure somebody is already selling these. I just threw together a prototype.

"Why don't you say something nice without being a smart ass all the time?"
-Joe Biden

Audio Ooops

You've probably heard this already: audio of reporters preloaded to write bad reviews of a Palin appearance, not realizing they're on the air.

Too bad we don't have audio of their observations before the speech. I imagine they were very much the same.

At the Foot Spa

Look for the Union Label

"I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I
prefer Karl Marx Industrial Lager Beer."

"You got a funnel? Let's make a beer bong."

"Did I ever tell you that I love you guys?
I do. I really love you guys. And even Sarkozy.
Don't you just love Sarkozy? I do. I love im."

Chicago Way

Skimming coverage of the Blago trial, one thing jumped out at me:

Harris also testified that Emanuel told him that no one else in the Obama camp was authorized to talk about the Senate seat. That seemed to be an indication that previous messages from a union official that Jackson Jr. was not one of Obama's preferred candidates were unauthorized.

Then I saw it again in another article:

Harris said Blagojevich came away believing Obama knew what he wanted after having a conversation with a local union representative, who in turn spoke with labor leader Tom Balanoff, with whom Blagojevich met to discuss a Jarrett appointment. Jarrett, now a White House adviser, was seeking the appointment to Obama's Senate seat.

So which branch of the government are union officials in? Is that legislative? Judicial? Executive? When did they get the clout to have any influence at all in the appointment of replacement senators?

Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that Emanuel asserted his authority to make deals for the Obama camp. But I have to wonder what the relationship is that allows union officials to presume to speak for Obama.

Sheesh, he's proved that he can handle the corruption himself.

Hot Washington Friday

This is one of those days where it's hard to
imagine being a nun in a bumper-car .

WaPo Drama

From NRO:

After making a number of disparaging comments about elements of the Right — including Ron Paul supporters, gay marriage opponents, and fellow blogger Matt Drudge — on a private listserv called "Journolist," Washington Post blogger Dave Weigel has reportedly resigned this morning.

In case you missed it: the latest flap was over Weigel's wish that Matt Drudge set himself on fire.

Anyway, I just thought I'd warn the unemployed that this guy is coming.

The WaPo never really got the conservative-beat thing in the first place. They did the same thing with their religion page, deciding that atheists would do the best job of running it. Ah well.

Thirsty Thursday

via

Cute Is

via, believe it or not, the HuffPo

Texting Drivers Drive Me Nuts

In Shallow Waters

In shallow waters, shrimps make fools of dragons
-Chinese proverb

my favorite, btw:

Because I'm Not Being Audited Enough

Note to IRS: be sure to double check all "business entertainment' deductions.

Barack Obama tests the fuel efficient Zoon, GM's
latest entry in the mandatory ownership class.

Take One More, I think I Was Squinting

Hope this turned out alright. Seems like there would have been a caption or something if she had ended up in the Pacific.

Ready to Cure Us with the Power of His Mind

Let the healing begin. Wash us with Unicorn tears. Part the waters. Plug the damn leak.

VDH

VDH:

As the administration keeps up the rhetoric against corporations, more and more businesses are hoarding their cash, not hiring, and postponing spending, out of fear of new taxes or entitlements, or some new “initiative” from a boot-on-the-neck, kick-ass administration.

Once again Victor Davis Hanson nails it. Read it.

The boot-on-the-neck, kick-ass administration. We are the boot we have been waiting for.

Simple Lesson

US musician John Lennon (R) and his japanese wife
Yoko Ono.... ...had to leave the comfort of their bed to try out
a Provo white bicycle which had been presented to them today.

I don't know why this old photo came up in a search at DayLife but it should be a textbook example of why socialism is flawed.

The white bicycle program in Amsterdam was how my generation was going to prove our superiority to our capitalist elders. The idea was that these community bicycles would be shared by all. When you needed to go somewhere you just found a white bike and took it to your destination. You then left the bike on the street for the next comrade to use. Our cooperation and love for our fellow man would ensure that the bikes were not abused. (remember, this was 1966, we had love in abundance, the streets were clogged with it)

That's what it was supposed to be. But human nature was involved. Why leave the bicycle on the street for the next guy when you knew you were going to have to make a return trip? What if it was gone when you came back? Best to take it inside then. And maybe take it inside when you got home too, because you know you've got to get to work early tomorrow... And maybe it'd be best to paint the thing black so that the busybody across the street will quit giving you a hard time about hoarding the bicycles.

Course everyone who used the bikes was in the same situation. And in the end, self interest trumped brotherly love. Within a month all the white bicycles were either stolen or thrown in the canals. Experiment over. Idealistic youth (including me) disillusioned.

Well some were disillusioned. Others refused to learn from the evidence and became stuck hippies.

This picture is great though, because it illustrates another aspect of the socialist experiment: preferential treatment for the elite. Hey, he's John Lennon; he gets the bike. Maybe grab one for his band-killer wife too.

via

Happy Monday

A word so obvious that no dictionary listing is necessary.

via

The First Father Celebrates Himself

On this father's day:

"Nurturing families come in many forms, and children may be raised by a father and mother, a single father, two fathers, a step father, a grandfather, an exceedingly affectionate elementary school janitor, or caring guardian."
-Barack Obama

OK, I put in the affectionate janitor, but the rest was him. Happy Fathers day, guys.

And remember, the children are counting on us to show them how to live. They don't stand a chance of getting a slumlord to kick in hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy the side yard for their first mansion unless we show them how to get that sort of thing done. They won't know how to get their spouse a no-show $300K job unless we teach them the Chicago Way.

Leaning Tower

(title: Tai Chi at the Mental Institution)

It almost looks staged, but I think not.

I'm sure that everyone "holding up the tower" knows that they're not being original. And most likely they know that they look silly. But they do it anyway. So I say good for you, tower holders.

Who would be more fun to sight-see with: them, or those who snicker at them, consider themselves too sophisticated for cliche photos, and secretly wish that they had the guts to do it?

Course, if you have photoshop, you don't have to look silly. You can photoshop your face onto someone who was bold enough to go to Pisa and look like a tourist.



See, no "looking like a tourist" involved. Though, if you are a tourist, aren't you supposed to look like one?

Anyway, once you have the photoshop out, you may as well use it to put yourself in all the places you didn't have time to visit:




There. Done. Vacation pictures accomplished.

Got Flair

Exterior: Ready!

Dinner Guest

"My friend? I thought he was with you."

Fashion Tip

Akiko loved Harajuku style, because it
drew attention away from her overbite.

Predictable SNAFUs

The only people surprised by this are those unfamiliar with bureaucracies:

Eight days ago, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal ordered barges to begin vacuuming crude oil out of his state's oil-soaked waters. Today, against the governor's wishes, those barges sat idle, even as more oil flowed toward the Louisiana shore.
Louisiana Governor Jindal frustrated over decision-making red tape.

"It's the most frustrating thing," the Republican governor said today in Buras, La. "Literally, yesterday morning we found out that they were halting all of these barges."

Sixteen barges sat stationary today, although they were sucking up thousands of gallons of BP's oil as recently as Tuesday. Workers in hazmat suits and gas masks pumped the oil out of the Louisiana waters and into steel tanks. It was a homegrown idea that seemed to be effective at collecting the thick gunk.

"These barges work. You've seen them work. You've seen them suck oil out of the water," said Jindal.

I know what happened: Someone realized that they'd be blamed if one of these barges blew up. They probably didn't even understand the risks, but hey, shutting down the barges was the CYA thing to do. Of course, shutting down the barges made the situation even worse. At that point someone would have to actively say that this operation is safe and "I'd stake my A on it."

In any huge bureaucracy interactions are governed by CYA. Probably less so in the military, but still, what's the reward for sticking your neck out? Best to cover-your-*ss and distance yourself from blame.

So no, a lot of this isn't Obama's fault. But I'm good with him getting the blame because, when bureaucratic SNAFUs hindered Bush's Katrina response, Obama was happy to place the blame on Bush. (and Katrina aid was hampered by hurricane damage that limited the first relief convoy to 50 miles travel on the first day) There's no downed trees in your way, Obama, why haven't you plugged the damn hole yet?

***Update: I didn't say it because it goes without saying, but this is exactly why we don't need a huge bureaucracy running health care.

Marriage Counseling

After just a few years of marriage, filled with constant arguments, Ralph and his wife, Mildred, decided the only way to save their marriage was to try counseling. They had been at each others throats for some time and felt that this was their last straw.

When they arrived at the counselor’s office, the counselor jumped right in and opened the floor for discussion: “What seems to be the problem?”

Immediately, Ralph held his long face down without anything to say as Mildred began talking 90 miles and hour describing all the wrongs within their marriage.

After 5 — 10 — 15 minutes of listening to Mildred, the counselor went over to her, picked her up by her shoulders, kissed her passionately for several minutes, and sat her back down.

Mildred just sat there — speechless.

Ralph was staring in disbelief at what had just happened.

The counselor said: “Your wife NEEDS that at least twice a week!”

Ralph scratched his head for a moment and replied:

“Well, I can have her here on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”

via

Found

"OK, but I get it next."

To the Rescue

"And what the oil doesn't realize is that it's me riding the
unicorn, and I'm wearing a crown that is also a unicorn."

The Final Countdown

Because, you know, I rock.

Foreign Policy Wishy-Wash

VDH nails it:

So, after 16 months of the Obama presidency, we are starting to see the sort of chaos that results from America’s lack of strategic vision or advocacy of its own values.

Suddenly, democratic allies such as Colombia, Israel, and India cannot count on our support in their rivalries with aggressive neighbors, while overt enemies such as Iran, Hamas, and North Korea wonder whether a brief window has opened for aggrandizement without repercussions.

That last one is what has me worried. It becomes an entirely different game once a theocracy controls nuclear weapons.

If Lovin You is Wrong,

I don't wanna be right. (more here, diabetics should have insulin on hand)

tnks brudi

Thursday Kitten Post

Popcorn kittens.

Shenanigans

General Petraeus faltered during senate hearings yesterday.

Drunk Dirty Dancer News Babe Continues Out-gassing

Katie does go on:

Confirming her membership in Manhattan’s liberal elite, Katie Couric boasted on Tuesday’s Late Show that she plans to follow Tom Friedman’s admonition, that in refusing to move away from oil “we have met the enemy and he is us,”

Note, she is just discussing practicing what she preaches; she hasn't really done anything. But she may have inadvertently come up with the Democrat campaign slogan for 2012:

"We are the enemy we have been waiting for"

Can't we go back to: "I know, we'll put on a play!" I am so tired of: "Times are tough. Let's tax them!"

Hi-Jinks

Only way to make this cuter: add a puppy.

Could Al Gore Possibly be an Unfaithful Husband?

The rumors are that Al Gore has been having an affair with Laurie David. I just don't see how this could be true. From the story:

"Al and Laurie went from friends to lovers," Star quotes an unnamed insider as saying. "It couldn't be avoided."

Well, see now, looking at Laurie David, I think I could have avoided it.

In fact, if the rumors are true, they both traded down.