Kerry almost lost me tonight with his "reporting for duty" salute. So I blew off the tedious family tributes to go walk the dog. I would rather watch my dog produce sh_t than listen to John Kerry's sh_t.

A short while after tuning back in, I picked up the vibe that we are in dire straits. We need help. Forget W and his corporate puppet-masters, we need help: "America can do better, and help is on the way."

Heh. Don't worry. We're from the government and we're here to help you.

Inspiration struck. What we need is a nanny. A nanny with a funny-talking sidekick:

Update: On a similar wavelength:

"Ok, so if we elect Kerry-Edwards, people will never have any bills to pay, we won't have to work long hours ever again, and there will be no more dangerous wars? And I suppose everyone gets a pony, too?" - The Poliblogger, via Wizbang.

Posted by: JohnL at 11:09 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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O my brothers, have you got a malenky malchick or devotchka who likes the old in-out in-out, like lubbilubbing? Are you tired of the like sarky chumble of the little bratchnys? Do the little kiddie widdies have any problems with drugs or are they puffing like on the cancers?

Hear me now, o my brothers: A real like horror show place for pee and em to send them off to. Not a Staja, but better.

Now if you don't mind, it's time to slosshy some Ludwig van Carlos, my droogies.

(Hat tip: Hit and Run).

P.S. Having problems remembering your Nadsat? Here's a glossary.

Posted by: JohnL at 08:39 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Wow.

This represents the best argument I think I have ever seen for a vibrant public domain. It technically infringes the trademarks and copyrights of Warner Bros and the Tolkien estate, at a minimum. But who cares?

Humphrey Bogart as Frodo Baggins in a brilliant 9-minute rendition of The Lord of the Rings. Particularly inspired -- Peter Lorre as Gollum at around 6:30 into the film.

I bet even Robert the Llamabutcher would enjoy this.

Hat tip: Chalybeous.

Posted by: JohnL at 10:37 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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It's official.

The Scaled Composites team yesterday gave their 60-day notice to the X-Prize Foundation that they will make an official attempt at the X-Prize: two flights into space within a two-week period carrying two passengers (or the weight equivalent of two passengers).

That means the first flight could take off at least as early as September 29 and the second flight no later than 14 days later than the first.

The Canadian Da Vinci team also announced that they will roll out their balloon-lofted launch vehicle next week. No official announcement of an attempt at the prize by them yet.

"Technology high. . . on the leading edge of life."

Very cool. More details to follow.

Posted by: JohnL at 10:12 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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A great photojournal of a June 1968 trip to Disneyland.

Hat tip: BoingBoing.

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Do you like waffles? I like waffles. Mmmm. Good.

Wafflers? Nope.

Here is an extensive video showing the gradual deterioration of John Kerry from being a legitimate war hero candidate to just another pacifist has-been tool ready to surrender to the jihadists.

Posted by: JohnL at 09:48 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Yesterday was the thirteenth anniversary of my marriage to my lovely wife. Hence, the lack of blogging last night.

We go out to dinner a fair amount, but almost never see first-run movies, so we went to see The Bourne Supremacy. Two thumbs way up.

We both read all of Ludlum's Bourne books about 15 years ago, and recently checked out The Bourne Identity on video.

We have been pleasantly surprised by both movies. Matt Damon fits our mental image of Jason Bourne, and even though we have forgotten all of the finer plot details (from which I understand the movies depart in some key ways) the overall characters and settings fit our memories of the books.

Now, where is that Amazon wish list. . . ?

Posted by: JohnL at 09:35 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Well, the voice of Reagan in his prime appears to be propagating into cyberspace nicely, thanks to the efforts of Timothy Sandefur (who I think was the first to link to it), Virginia Postrel, Stephen Macklin, both Llama Butchers, Southern Appeal, and Chris Berg.

I appreciate the traffic, but I love the thought of Reagan's message spreading to a wider audience than the AMA originally intended even more.

While turning back socialism may seem a Sisyphean task, Reagan and Thatcher both showed it could be done. This 40-year old recording is still relevant today. Medicare persists, and President Bush recently expanded it in an astonishing abandonment of "conservative" principles. As Stephen Macklin points out in his comments linked above, Kerry offers an even worse alternative with his health care plan. People who believe that the national government should not interfere with the doctor-patient relationship need to write their Senators and Representative, following the advice spelled out by Reagan here.

Thanks again!

Posted by: JohnL at 09:50 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Texan Lance Armstrong has won a record sixth Tour de France.

No point in my linking many stories, since you can Google "Lance Armstrong" as easily as I. Here's a decent one to get you started.

In a game of six degrees of Lance Armstrong, I would come in at only one degree of separation, as I bought my current bike from Jim Hoyt at the Richardson Bike Mart just a couple of miles from here. Jim sold Lance his first bike, and got Lance into racing back in 1987.

A big Texas yee-haw goes out to Lance!

Posted by: JohnL at 11:53 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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LEGO has re-issued an updated model of one of the most popular SF ships of all time, the Millennium Falcon. A few years ago, LEGO mostly discontinued selling their first version of the Millennium Falcon, leading to much dismay in our household (I had promised it for Christmas, but it was gone from the stores before we could get it, and was then unavailable online -- grrr).

I'm not planning to repeat that mistake this time around.

Still, it's nice to know that several people have developed their own versions of the Millennium Falcon, so we could always do the same (and probably will -- my elder son wants to use this latest model to help make the Ebon Hawk, the ship from Knights of the Old Republic).

Posted by: JohnL at 11:07 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Steve the Llamabutcher provides some helpful graphics for the technically impaired to demonstrate the effect of a trojan virus.

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I know it's about a month late, but this is my tribute to Ronald Wilson Reagan, may he rest in peace. He was not a "libertarian" in all aspects, but he truly loved liberty and believed in the American experiment.

I offer for your consideration a wonderfully-preserved example of pre-Internet, multimedia political opinion, produced and distributed by the American Medical Association and deployed via the "Women's Auxiliary" (not the Spouse's Auxiliary): Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine:

Enclosed in this record, I found a letter addressed to my grandmother (actually, to "Dear Auxiliary member"):

woman's auxiliary
TO THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION INC.
AUXILIARY HEADQUARTERS -- 535 NORTH DEARBORN STREET
CHICAGO 10, ILLINOIS

April 15, 1961

Dear Auxiliary member:

The Woman's Auxiliary has been charged with the most important assignment in its history.

Physicians have asked doctors' wives to assume full responsibility for OPERATION COFFEECUP, an all-out effort to stimulate as many letters as possible to Congress opposing socialized medicine and its menace as proposed in the King bill (HR 4222).

OPERATION COFFEECUP hinges upon use of the enclosed record, "Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine" in informal groups in individual Auxiliary members' homes to stimulate friends and neighbors to write their congressmen.

Instructions for OPERATION COFFEECUP are printed on this record jacket. Informational literature is also enclosed. When you receive this package, don't waste a minute. Follow through with your part in OPERATION COFFEECUP at once. To be most successful, this record must be kept moving.

When you have finished with it, please complete as many of the enclosed report forms as you need and mail them to the Woman's Auxiliary headquarters, 535 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago 10, Ill.

American Medicine has given the Woman's Auxiliary this opportunity to prove its value as helpmates in this vital campaign. Let's demonstrate we can accept this challenge and meet it successfully.

Sincerely,

/s/
Mrs. William Mackersie, President
/s/
Mrs. Leo Smith, Legislative Chairman
/s/
Mrs. James Morrison, Vice Chairman

Much more in the extended entry:

more...

Posted by: JohnL at 12:01 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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I like hot and spicy foods. I love jalapenos and green chile. I add tabasco or picante to about half of my foods. So far I'm the only one in the family who really likes foods that have "the burn." (That might be changing; my second son eats pepperoncinis -- the halting first steps toward more challenging peppers. And both boys like hot link sausages now, too).

Still, I don't really seek out the "nuclear" hot sauces described in this Tim Blair post and comments. Check out the eating habits of some heavy-weight blogging talent -- Lileks, Jarvis, Treacher, and, of course, Blair. As Lileks puts it: How many different ways can you say “my mouth hurt and I blew napalm from my hindquartersâ€�?

(Query: what kind of mind looks at the handicapped rails in a bathroom stall and thinks of Elvis' last moments?).

Posted by: JohnL at 10:49 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I came of age in the 1980s, graduating from high school in 1986. At the time, I didn't much like the "popular" (teenybopper) music, preferring 70s progressive rock (ELP, Yes, Pink Floyd), Rush, some metal, and other "serious" music. (That included some intelligent punk/new wave). Now, I can appreciate most 80s music from a nostalgic perspective, even the top-40 songs.

Rae at A Likely Story has compiled a long if not all-inclusive list of songs that exemplify the 80s sound. I added a couple of suggestions in comments to her list, and she's promising to extend the list soon. Check it out.

Posted by: JohnL at 10:10 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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1 Hey John, thanks for the link It seems that people are dropping by and adding their own favorites to the list, too, so perhaps I won't have to list more...

Posted by: Rae at July 22, 2004 11:08 PM (EN4g1)

2 I am also Class of 1986! And I agree that her list was fun.

Posted by: RP at July 23, 2004 12:14 PM (LlPKh)

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I've seen links to this brilliant play on Woodie Guthrie's "This Land" several places, but most recently at Catallarchy.

Finally watched it tonight.

Hilarious throughout, but the jokes on the Donks seemed funniest -- especially the John Kerry as a "UN pu--y," the Howard Dean "yeeargggh," and the brief cameo by William Jefferson Clinton ("To the New York I---" [slap!] -- "Hey wha'd I do?").

The jokes on Bush were predictable and fell flat (he's dumb, can't pronounce nuclear, he's a crusader), but they were well-executed.

As they say, the no-hot-beverages-rule is in effect.

Posted by: JohnL at 12:07 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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It looks like the X-Prize Foundation will be making "several key announcements" on July 27. Perhaps formal 60-day notices of one or more attempts at the prize?

That's an auspicious day, in any event, as I will be celebrating 13 years of wedded bliss with my lovely wife.

Posted by: JohnL at 11:47 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I've trimmed, pruned, and supplemented my blogrolls.

I'm also experimenting with the style and layout (although not publishing it here yet). Look for a revamped look here soon.

Posted by: JohnL at 11:41 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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When you have the chance, drop by SFSignal and leave a congratulatory note on their recent one-year bloggiversary.

Posted by: JohnL at 11:34 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Via Mixolydian Mode, a 30-second reenactment of Alien with bunnies.

Posted by: JohnL at 11:13 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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While we're on military topics, jump on over to SlagleRock's Slaughterhouse, where he has penned an ode to the M2 ("Ma Deuce") .50 cal Browning Machine Gun.

Check out some of these links for more on this classic weapon.

Posted by: JohnL at 10:51 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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