tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81907437946905921962024-02-08T11:46:03.308-08:00The TrogloPunditThe TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.comBlogger154125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-73030972139987434752011-07-31T13:30:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:55:44.853-07:00So now that there's a debt ceiling deal, can we finally start being
bored to tears by a brand new issue?<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/obama-congress-reach-debt-deal-003853348.html">There's a deal</a>!<br/><br/><blockquote>Ending a perilous stalemate, President Barack Obama announced agreement Sunday night with Republican congressional leaders on a compromise to avoid the nation's first-ever financial default. The deal would cut more than $2 trillion from federal spending over a decade.</blockquote><br/><br/>Greg Sargent says <a href="http://www.memeorandum.com/110731/p40#a110731p40">it's a big win for Republicans</a>:<br/><br/><blockquote><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/gop-on-verge-of-huge-unprecedented-political-victory/2011/03/03/gIQA3l8WlI_blog.html">GOP on verge of huge, unprecedented political victory</a><br/><br/>Anything can happen, but it apppears the GOP is on the verge of pulling off a political victory that may be unprecedented in American history. Republicans may succeed in using the threat of a potential outcome that they themselves acknowledged would lead to national catastrophe as leverage to extract enormous concessions from Democrats, without giving up anything of any significance in return.</blockquote><br/><br/>Hooray! Now maybe we can see something different at the top of Memeorandum for a change! Y'know, after a few days of parsing and recriminating and speculating on who won or who lost or who's just being a sore loser or really ought to get on board and stop whining that everything isn't <em>perfect.</em><br/><br/>Me, I'm not even going to bother figuring out what was in the "deal." These things always seem to turn out a lot worse than we thought a month after they happen. More at <a href="http://www.memeorandum.com/110731/p49#a110731p49">Memeorandum.</a><br/><br/><strong>UPDATE - </strong><a href="http://www.memeorandum.com/110801/p6#a110801p6">Krugman hates it</a>, so <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/01/opinion/the-president-surrenders-on-debt-ceiling.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss">it must be good</a>. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/01/opinion/to-escape-chaos-a-terrible-debt-deal.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss">The New York Times hates it</a>, <a href="http://www.memeorandum.com/110801/p3#a110801p3">too</a>. Doubleplusgood!<br/><br/>I reiterate what I wrote earlier: we don't really know what's in this thing. Plus, all the people noting that promised future spending cuts aren't actually spending cuts at all are absolutely right. We're giving something up front for a promise of something later. <br/><br/>But, again, gotta wait and see.The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-82047853722439502182011-07-31T04:21:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:55:44.853-07:00This Week in Automotivators, July 25-31Following a week's hiatus, This Week in Automotivators makes its triumphant return! Just click on the link under each picture if you aren't sure what the hell I'm talking about. <br/><br/>First, and most importantly:<br/><br/><a href="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/automotivator_football.jpg"><img src="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/automotivator_football.jpg?w=450" alt="" title="automotivator_football" width="450" height="341" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-23472" /></a><br/><br/>The debt ceiling thingie kinda paled in comparison. Which of course leads us to:<br/><br/><a href="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/automotivator_yaycheese.jpg"><img src="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/automotivator_yaycheese.jpg?w=450" alt="" title="automotivator_yaycheese" width="450" height="464" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-19657" /></a><br/><br/>Onward:<br/><br/><a href="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/automotivator_kissingceiling.jpg"><img src="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/automotivator_kissingceiling.jpg?w=450" alt="" title="automotivator_kissingceiling" width="450" height="484" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-23516" /></a><br/><br/>Link: <a href="http://datechguyblog.com/2011/07/29/the-debt-debate-libya-on-the-potomac/">Da Tech Guy.</a> Picture by <a href="http://fredmuram.com/pages/Kissing%20the%20Ceiling/Kissing%20the%20Ceiling%20-Eroyn.html">Fred Muram.</a><br/><br/><a href="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/automotivator_aliceceiling.jpg"><img src="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/automotivator_aliceceiling.jpg?w=450" alt="" title="automotivator_aliceceiling" width="450" height="499" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-23517" /></a><br/><br/>Link: <a href="troglopundit.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/shorter-new-york-times-the-only-way-to-pay-off-current-debt-is-to-incur-even-more-debt/">TrogloPundit.</a><br/><br/><a href="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/automotivator_perry1.jpg"><img src="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/automotivator_perry1.jpg?w=450" alt="" title="automotivator_perry" width="450" height="496" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-23518" /></a><br/><br/>Link: <a href="http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/125020/">Instapundit.</a><br/><br/><a href="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/automotivator_creditcards.jpg"><img src="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/automotivator_creditcards.jpg?w=450" alt="" title="automotivator_creditcards" width="450" height="350" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-23519" /></a><br/><br/>Link: <a href="http://www.sundriesshack.com/2011/07/26/dear-new-york-times-dry-your-eyes-your-salvation-is-at-hand/">The Sundries Shack.</a><br/><br/><a href="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/automotivator-wu.jpg"><img src="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/automotivator-wu.jpg?w=450" alt="" title="automotivator-wu" width="450" height="388" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-23520" /></a><br/><br/>Link: <a href="http://lonelyconservative.com/2011/07/crazy-rep-david-wu-to-resign/">Lonely Conservative.</a><br/><br/><a href="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/automotivator_hobbits.jpg"><img src="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/automotivator_hobbits.jpg?w=450" alt="" title="automotivator_hobbits" width="450" height="398" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-23521" /></a><br/><br/>Link: <a href="http://theblogprof.blogspot.com/2011/07/mccain-of-mordor-tea-partiers-have-bad.html">The Blogprof.</a><br/><br/><strong>Previously:</strong><br/><br/><ul><li><a href="troglopundit.wordpress.com/2011/07/10/this-week-in-automotivators-july-4-10/">This Week in Automotivators, July 4-10</a> </li></ul><br/><br/><ul><li><a href="troglopundit.wordpress.com/2011/07/17/this-week-in-automotivators/">This Week in Automotivators, Grandpa Steve Edition</a> </li></ul><br/><br/><ul><li><a href="http://wigflip.com/automotivator/">Make your own automotivators.</a></li></ul>The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-8795883327461170452011-07-30T10:11:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:55:44.853-07:00Over at Right Wing News today, I overthink this picture:Or underthink it. There's a lot more metaphors in there, I think:<br/><br/><a href="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/ceiling.jpg"><img src="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/ceiling.jpg" alt="" title="Ceiling" width="444" height="599" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-23532" /></a><br/><br/><a href="http://rightwingnews.com/uncategorized/one-picture-two-metaphors/">Read the whole thing</a>.The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-61723823770103424982011-07-30T08:41:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:58:17.885-07:00I guess she'd rathered kiss a WookieeHarrison Ford confronts Chewbacca:<br/><br/>
<br />
<br /><iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sWTtMdXAazs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-23723236708173028462011-07-30T04:10:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:55:44.853-07:00See? The stock market isn't doing that bad!It's all <a href="http://www.memeorandum.com/110730/p4#a110730p4">part of the plan</a>:<br/><br/><blockquote><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/tech_guide/2011/07/29/2011-07-29_bams_spam_president_barack_obama_takes_debt_battle_to_twitter_loses_more_than_20.html">President Barack Obama takes debt battle to Twitter, loses more than 40,000 followers in one day</a></blockquote><br/><br/>That's a little more than <strike>4%</strike> 0.4%. <em>In a single day</em>. See? The Dow Jones looks <em>way </em>better by comparison!<br/><br/>More at <a href="http://hotair.com/archives/2011/07/29/tech-savvy-president-wages-twitter-campaign-against-gop-loses-36000-followers/">Hot Air</a>, <a href="http://michellemalkin.com/2011/07/29/new-obama-motto-yes-we-spam/">Malkin,</a> and <a href="http://legalinsurrection.com/2011/07/president-twit/">Legal Insurrection.</a><br/><br/><strong>UPDATE -</strong> I missed a decimal point or something, so my original calculation was wrong. Thanks to Tregonsee for pointing that out.<br/><br/>A four-tenths-of-a-point fall doesn't actually make the Dow Jones look all that good by comparison, but then, maybe that's just the Obama Administration's usual competence showing through. They <em>tried </em>to make the Dow Jones look good, but didn't quite get there.The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-87247227750463620512011-07-30T01:39:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:55:44.854-07:00Wow, the resemblance is uncanny.I have been shamefully lazy about congratulating m’man Smitty on his new evil minion, Little Smitty, <a href="http://theothermccain.com/2011/07/27/i-have-in-fact-fathered-one-handsome-fellow">who bears a striking resemblance to dear old Dad</a>: <br/><br/><a href="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/smitty-jr1.jpg"><img src="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/smitty-jr1.jpg?w=285" alt="" title="smitty jr" width="285" height="300" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-23505" /></a> <a href="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/smitty.jpg"><img src="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/smitty.jpg?w=257" alt="" title="smitty" width="257" height="300" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-9802" /></a><br/><br/>Seriously, put your hand over the pictures so you can only see them from the eyebrows up. It’s <em>uncanny.</em><br/><br/>I have been equally shamefully lazy about congratulating Grandpa Steve on his newest evil minion, Grandbaby #6 (so far, Grandpa Steve is well ahead of the rest of us on the evil minion scale). troglopundit.wordpress.com/2011/07/22/congratulations-to-the-trog-and-mr-pterodactyl/<br/><br/>The resemblance here, though, isn’t quite as easy to see:<br/><br/><a href="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/mason-leroy1.jpg"><img src="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/mason-leroy1.jpg?w=300" alt="" title="mason-leroy" width="300" height="240" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-23506" /></a> <a href="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/steve.jpg"><img src="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/steve.jpg" alt="" title="steve" width="183" height="183" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-23507" /></a><br/><br/>Unless you cover the entire picture with your hand, at which point the resemblance is <em>again </em>uncanny.The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-32976201867204361782011-07-29T14:30:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:55:44.854-07:00The Adult Diaper Astronaut was still serving as a Naval officer?Whaddayagotta do to get kicked out of that organization?<br/><br/><blockquote><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/ex-astronaut-lisa-nowak-forced-navy-030507472.html">ORLANDO, Florida (AP)</a> — A former astronaut banished from NASA after she confronted a romantic rival in a bizarre episode is being expelled from the Navy, officials said Thursday.<br/><br/>Capt. Lisa Nowak will retire with an "other than honorable" discharge and her pay grade will be knocked down one rank, Assistant Secretary of Navy Juan Garcia said in a statement.</blockquote><br/><br/>You remember her: the nutjob who drove cross-country to kidnap her lover’s girlfriend? That was in February of 2007 - over four years ago. She got kicked out of the astronaut corps, at least, and pleaded the charges against her down to a year’s probation, but was still serving as a Navy Captain until now. <br/><br/>I wonder what it was like to work with her? Did people have to bite back Depends jokes at office birthday parties? Avoid discussing vacation plans that involved long drives? <br/><br/>More importantly, was her duty station one where your peers give you a call sign, and if so...The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-14619013909402584902011-07-29T12:55:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:55:44.854-07:00Nobody tell Mister PterodactylYou spend years and years with nary a thought of the now-deceased pedophile cannibal mass murderer from your home state, and then suddenly he makes the news twice in one month:<br/><br/><blockquote><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/man-escaped-jeffrey-dahmer-arrested-over-fight-death-222448028.html">Man who escaped Jeffrey Dahmer arrested over fight death</a><br/><br/>MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - <strong>A man who narrowly escaped Jeffrey Dahmer and helped end the serial killer's murder and sexual assault spree two decades ago faced a possible homicide charge of his own on Thursday in Wisconsin</strong>.<br/><br/>Tracy Edwards, 52 and homeless, was arrested on Tuesday after a fight that led to a man falling into the Milwaukee River and dying. The Milwaukee County District Attorney's office said it was reviewing the evidence with a view to a possible homicide charge.</blockquote><br/><br/>No cannibalism, body-parts collection, or uncomfortably-textured lampshades were involved, however. As for Edwards' involvement in the Dahmer case:<br/><br/><blockquote>…Twenty years ago this month, Milwaukee police found Edwards, half naked and partially handcuffed, in the street near Dahmer's apartment. Edwards told police he had just escaped Dahmer's apartment and led them back there.<br/><br/>Police arrested Dahmer that evening after finding body parts in his refrigerator and human remains throughout his apartment.</blockquote><br/><br/>Too bad that was twenty years ago. If that happened today, Edwards would be the star of his own reality TV show within six months, tops. Sure, the sudden fame and fortune would probably just exacerbate whatever factors cause him to be homeless, but still. I’m sure he could at least swing one date with a Kardashian.<br/><br/><strong>Previously:</strong><br/><br/><ul><li><a href="troglopundit.wordpress.com/2011/07/22/it-was-twenty-years-ago-today-jeffrey-dahmers-dinner-got-away/">It Was Twenty Years Ago Today, Jeffrey Dahmer’s Dinner Got Away</a></li></ul>The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-39799396581605004602011-07-29T11:21:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:55:44.854-07:00The creepiest thing you’ll see all day<strong>Alternate headline</strong>: this eBay seller’s making a <em>killing!</em><br/><br/><a href="http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Casey-Anthony-rubber-mask-sells-for-nearly-1-million-on-eBay-126391868.html">The story</a>:<br/><br/><blockquote><strong>An eBay customer has paid almost $1 million to for a Casey Anthony rubber mask.</strong><br/><br/>Described by the seller as “a significant piece of crime history” the mask was purchased with a winning bid of $999,900 last Wednesday, beating another 104 bids, the first started at $25.<br/><br/>The online seller called “prophunter” is based in LA and ended up with six rubber face masks of Anthony’s face that had been used in a parody video and put one of them on sale on eBay.</blockquote><br/><br/>Have a look:<br/><br/><a href="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/072811_casey-anthony-mask.jpg"><img src="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/072811_casey-anthony-mask.jpg?w=450" alt="" title="072811_casey-anthony-mask" width="450" height="285" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-23493" /></a><br/><br/>Are you <em>totally </em>creeped out right now? I am <em>totally </em>creeped out right now.<br/><br/>I get why the masks were made ("parody video," whatever that was), and I get why they’re being sold. But...<em>almost a million dollars?</em> How much could it possibly cost just to create a brand new mask?<br/><br/><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/CASEY-ANTHONY-LATEX-RUBBER-MASK-EXT-RARE-/260823841484?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cba4ffacc#vi-desc">There’s two more still available on ebay</a>, by the way. Current bids are $26,000 and slightly less than $5,000. Go nuts.The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-54253602279973258352011-07-29T10:17:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:55:44.854-07:00Is it my birthday? Obama’s approval ratings drop to 40%<strong>Alternate title</strong>: stupid RINOs, not approving of President Obama's job performance.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/148739/Obama-Approval-Drops-New-Low.aspx">Gallup</a><a href="http://www.memeorandum.com/110729/p79#a110729p79">:</a> <br/><br/><blockquote><strong>President Obama's job approval rating is at a new low, averaging 40% in July 26-28</strong> Gallup Daily tracking. His prior low rating of 41% occurred several times, the last of which was in April. As recently as June 7, Obama had 50% job approval.</blockquote><br/><br/>Let’s not get too excited. This could just be an outlier, and anyway his approval rating’s hit 41% a few times and come back from it. Plus, polls suck, so we have to take that into account.<br/><br/>Still. Woot.<br/><br/>This was interesting:<br/><br/><blockquote>Obama's job approval rating among Democrats is 72%, compared with 34% among independents and 13% among Republicans. In the prior three weeks, his average approval rating was 79% among Democrats, 41% among independents, and 12% among Republicans.</blockquote><br/><br/>Approval among Democrats: down. Among independents: down. Among Republicans...<em>up?</em> What the hell?<br/><br/>Sure, it’s within the margin of error. On the other hand...don’t count me among those who'll root against the economy to gain partisan advantage, but I <em>do </em>approve of anything the president does to make his re-election less likely. <br/><br/>Your approval of someone’s performance depends on whether he’s achieving what you want him to achieve, doesn’t it? So if you want President Obama to be a one-termer, then don’t you kind of <em>have </em>to approve of his performance so far?<br/><br/>In which case, what’s wrong with the <em>rest </em>of those Republicans?The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-22681058485424591252011-07-28T23:44:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:55:44.854-07:00As of today, I become the answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the
Universe, and Everything.So there.The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-22201476935122859102011-07-28T14:48:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:55:44.854-07:00Trog asked for this[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iqLhdInGrk&w=560&h=349]<br/><br/>Not in the 'would you please?' way. More like the 'this is for your own good' way. You know what I mean.<br/><br/>Who's ready for some football?The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-34538485402129399482011-07-28T14:40:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:55:44.855-07:00Here's why I haven't blogged at all today:<a href="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/acme-man2.jpg"><img src="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/acme-man2.jpg?w=450" alt="" title="acme man2" width="450" height="580" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-23478" /></a><br/><br/>Yep, that's me and Acme Man, whose name I somehow neglected to ask. Nice of him to take the picture with me, though. Saint Vince was there, too. Didn't get one of him.<br/><br/>I felt a little like I was in costume, too: I was the only guy not from the Packers' front office who was wearing a suit. But he, it's a shareholders meeting! What else do you wear? <br/><br/>More blogging tomorrow.The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-80994212938415026872011-07-28T03:13:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:55:44.855-07:00I'm off to the Green Bay Packers' annual shareholders' meeting......and what incredible timing, the same week the lockout ended; the same day the players report to camp. I dunno if we'll see any of the players, but, feh. It's Lambeau, surrounded by Packers fans on a beautiful day, with my 11-year-old son who just <em>had </em>to call me from his grandparents' house to make sure I knew that the lockout had ended.<br/><br/>I'll post some pictures later, if I've got any. Seeya!<br/><br/><a href="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/automotivator_football.jpg"><img src="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/automotivator_football.jpg?w=450" alt="" title="automotivator_football" width="450" height="341" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-23472" /></a>The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-91809426724666206362011-07-28T01:02:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:55:44.855-07:00"Deficits are like smoking: difficult to give up."<blockquote>"They can be cut only at the cost of genuine hardship, for many people will have become dependent upon them for their livelihood. Hence withdrawal symptoms are likely to be severe; and hardship is always politically hazardous to inflict, even when it is a necessary corrective to previous excess."<br/><br/>~<a href="http://www.city-journal.org/2011/21_3_otbie-uk-govt-spending.html">Theodore Dalrymple</a></blockquote><br/><br/>For every government action, there is an equal and parallel reaction. Seems like there's a lot of things you could say that about other than just deficits. <br/><br/>Hat tip <a href="http://pajamasmedia.com/eddriscoll/2011/07/26/impossible-political-promises-are-believed-only-by-the-prepared-mind/">Ed Driscoll.</a>The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-32272778619776354022011-07-27T23:47:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:55:44.855-07:00We’re here, we’re rich…<blockquote>...get used to it, bitch!</blockquote><br/><br/>Public relations, <a href="http://fishersvillemike.blogspot.com/2011/07/we-are-top-2-percent-and-were-proud.html">Fishersville-style!</a>The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-12841812606490068612011-07-27T14:11:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:55:44.855-07:00In Single Girl’s News Today:Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed. Now <em>that's</em> a match made in heaven.<br/><br/><blockquote><a href="http://www.ontheredcarpet.com/Gene-Simmons-proposes-to-Shannon-Tweed-on-finale-of-reality-show-Video/8272699&rss=rss-wabc-ent_story-8272699">Gene Simmons proposes to Shannon Tweed on finale of reality show</a></blockquote><br/><br/>But wait:<br/><br/><blockquote><a href="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/gene-simmons-proposes-to-shannon-tweed.jpg"><img src="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/gene-simmons-proposes-to-shannon-tweed.jpg?w=300" alt="" title="gene simmons proposes to shannon tweed" width="300" height="300" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-23460" /></a>Gene Simmons has finally proposed to longtime girlfriend Shannon Tweed, although <strong>it is unclear if she agreed to marry him</strong>.</blockquote><br/><br/>But:<br/><br/><blockquote>Simmons and Tweed, a 54-year-old former Playboy Playmate and actress, <strong>have been together for at least 28 years and have two children </strong>- Nick, 22, and Sophie, 18. </blockquote><br/><br/>Okay, so they haven’t exactly been <em>single </em>lately, either, but:<br/><br/><blockquote>People reported on Tuesday that <strong>Tweed told the magazine in a recent interview that she had moved out of the family's home and that there was a "slim chance" of her reconciling with Simmons.</strong><br/><br/>Tweed said on the season premiere of "Gene Simmons Family Jewels," which aired in June, that she was tired of Simmons' "wandering eye."</blockquote><br/><br/>Yeah, but:<br/><br/><blockquote>Also during the finale, <strong>Simmons is seen talking to his and Tweed's daughter, Sophie, about his upcoming proposal</strong>.<br/><br/>"I've known your mom a while," he says. "We've dated for 28 years. I'm an idiot. I thought maybe it's time she made an honest man out of me. I'm going to ask your mom to marry me. Is that okay with you? Can I marry your mom?"<br/><br/><strong>His daughter replies: "I'm so proud of you."</strong> </blockquote><br/><br/>So. Um. They’ve been “together” 28 years and have two kids, <em>but </em>she’s moved out recently, <em>but </em>the daughter is all in on them getting married, <em>and </em>Simmons popped the question on TV (the absolute most <em>bestest</em> way to propose), <em>but</em> the TV show chose to use her answer as a cliffhanger for next season.<br/><br/>Which means, all you single guys and girls out there, this <em>might </em>mean something. <em>Or </em>it might not. <br/><br/>Huh. It's just like the debt ceiling debate.The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-81059806576802602622011-07-27T12:18:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:55:44.855-07:00Why? Is al-Qaeda handling their finances like we’re handling ours?<a href="http://www.memeorandum.com/110727/p10#a110727p10">Headline</a>:<br/><br/><blockquote><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/al-qaeda-could-collapse-us-officials-say/2011/07/21/gIQAFu2pbI_story.html">U.S. officials believe al-Qaeda on brink of collapse</a></blockquote><br/><br/>Is their deadline August 2, too? <a href="http://hotair.com/archives/2011/07/27/nyt-discovers-drop-dead-date-more-like-get-dizzy-date/">Ish?</a>The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-59575912368660628812011-07-27T11:02:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:55:44.855-07:00Hey, where’s Perry?<a href="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/perry-the-platypus.jpg"><img src="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/perry-the-platypus.jpg?w=107" alt="" title="perry the platypus" width="107" height="150" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-22922" /></a>He's right here. <a href="http://hotair.com/archives/2011/07/27/perry-pulls-into-statistical-tie-with-romney-in-gallup-poll/">Right next to you</a>:<br/><br/><blockquote>Perry pulls into statistical tie with Romney in <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/148664/Romney-Leads-Field-Announced-GOP-Candidates.aspx">Gallup poll</a><br/><br/><strong>If Perry, Sarah Palin, and Rudy Giuliani all get into the race, Perry comes in just two points behind Romney</strong> and ahead of Palin and Giuliani, while Michele Bachmann falls to fifth place — well within the margin of error.</blockquote><br/><br/>Love those hypothetical questions. <br/><br/><blockquote><strong>If only Perry gets in the race, he starts off five points behind Romney</strong> — and five points ahead of Bachmann, who loses four points in the transaction</blockquote><br/><br/>Romney also loses four points in that “transaction,” while Ron Paul gains two and Herman Cain gains one. <br/><br/>All within the margin of error, of course. Still. Weird.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.harrisinteractive.com/NewsRoom/HarrisPolls/tabid/447/mid/1508/articleId/840/ctl/ReadCustom%20Default/Default.aspx">On the other hand, Harris says</a>: <br/><br/><blockquote>...among Republicans over one-quarter (28%) say they are not at all sure who they would vote for if they were voting in the Republican primary. Rudy Giuliani (14%) and Mitt Romney (14%) rise to the top among Republicans followed by Sarah Palin (12%). <strong>All the other candidates presented are under 10% including Rick Perry (8%)</strong>, Michele Bachmann (6%), and Ron Paul (5%).</blockquote><br/><br/>The moral: polls suck. Via <a href="http://www.memeorandum.com/110727/p17#a110727p17">Memeorandum.</a>The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-39503296841629572802011-07-27T10:08:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:55:44.856-07:00“GOP in chaos.” They say that like it’s news or something.<a href="http://www.memeorandum.com/110727/p43#a110727p43">The headline</a>: <br/><br/><blockquote><a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/60022.html">“GOP in chaos.”</a></blockquote><br/><br/>So what else is new? <br/><br/><blockquote>“The reason Americans do so well in war, is war is chaos, and Americans practice chaos on a daily basis.” ~Erwin Rommel</blockquote><br/><br/>Politics isn’t war, except metaphorically. War, on the other hand, is the continuation of politics by other means. So. There. If one of America's major political parties is "in chaos," then all is as it should be. In fact, I'd worry more if the GOP wasn't "in chaos." <br/><br/>How come there's no chaos? <em>Why is everybody marching in lock-step!</em> <br/><br/><strong>Whaddaya wanna bet: the Democrats are in “chaos” right now, too</strong>. Rather, <em>Senate </em>Democrats are. Oh, sure, so are House Democrats, but that hardly matters.<br/><br/>If the House GOP’s chaos is somehow more visible than the Senate Democrats', that's just due to the larger number of individual Congressmen (“herding cats” is a common and apt metaphor). Also, the MSM’s tendency to amplify “problems” on the GOP side, and the fact that there’s just more full-grown pairs on the GOP side than anywhere else. <br/><br/>It's not surprising, or new, or unique, or especially fascinating. It's <em>Wednesday.</em><br/><br/><strong>NOTE -</strong> the headline I keep referencing is on Memeorandum. The Politico headline is different. I'm guessing it changed at some point.The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-2334259693452444642011-07-27T02:32:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:55:44.856-07:00Misleading Headline of the Day:The headline:<br/><br/><blockquote><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/sorry-everyone-scientists-prove-time-travel-impossible-234917620.html">Sorry, everyone: Scientists prove time travel impossible</a></blockquote><br/><br/>No, they didn’t. They only proved that nothing can move faster than light in a vacuum <em>based on what we know today.</em> That doesn’t prove that time travel is “impossible.”<br/><br/>Personally, I’m convinced time travel <em>is </em>possible, but that we will never achieve it. The theory works like this:<br/><br/><ul><li>Time travel is invented;</ul></li><br/><ul><li>Somebody travels back through time;</ul></li><br/><ul><li>That person inevitably changes history, whether purposely or not;</ul></li><br/><ul><li>Repeat steps 1 and 2 until…</ul></li><br/><ul><li>History is changed in such a way that time travel is never invented. </ul></li><br/><br/>According to this theory, there's no state of being other than one in which we'll never, ever achieve time travel. Unless you count putting a few thousand dollars into an investment account and then freezing yourself long enough for it to make you wildly rich, but that's not really "time travel." It's just sleeping for a really long time.<br/><br/>There’s a name for that theory, by the way, but my usual amount (5 minutes) of internet research failed to dig it up for me.The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-10516078649762702472011-07-27T00:28:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:55:44.856-07:00I’ve always thought I’d die in some kind of freak barbeque-related
accident.Headline: <br/><br/><blockquote><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/teen-thought-die-alaska-bear-attack-215639091.html">Teen thought he would die in Alaska bear attack</a></blockquote><br/><br/>The story:<br/><br/><blockquote>ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The teens had been advised to play dead if they encountered a grizzly during their excursion in the Alaska wilderness.<br/><br/>But with the massive, snarling bear suddenly looming over them, 17-year-old Sam Gottsegen of Denver and the other participants of <strong>a backcountry survival course </strong>did what so many others would have done: They ran.</blockquote><br/><br/><strong>Lesson one</strong>: you don’t have to outrun the bear. You just have to outrun the guy next to you.<br/><br/><br/><blockquote>The attack Saturday night in the Talkeetna Mountains north of Anchorage came as the group of seven was nearing the end of the 30-day survival course. The teens were at a stage where they could try out their skills without adults around.<br/><br/><strong>Playing dead after seeing a grizzly was part of the training</strong>.</blockquote><br/><br/>Hope they got a tuition refund. <br/><br/>Hey, everybody lived. So I can joke if I want. Speaking of which, maybe they should hire a new professor:<br/><br/><a href="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/automotivator_kungfupalin1.jpg"><img src="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/automotivator_kungfupalin1.jpg?w=450" alt="" title="automotivator_kungfupalin" width="450" height="392" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-3684" /></a>The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-45230028842426417542011-07-26T22:25:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:55:44.856-07:00Wisconsin professor wins national Bad Writing ContestOh, hell, <a href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ODD_WORST_WRITING?SITE=WIMIL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT">I write worse sentences than this all the time</a>:<br/><br/><blockquote>Sue Fondrie of Oshkosh, Wis., won the 2011 Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest for her sentence comparing forgotten memories to dead sparrows, said San Jose State University Prof. Scott Rice. The contestant asks writers to submit the worst possible opening sentences to imaginary novels.<br/><br/>Fondrie wrote: <strong>"Cheryl's mind turned like the vanes of a wind-powered turbine, chopping her sparrow-like thoughts into bloody pieces that fell onto a growing pile of forgotten memories."</strong><br/><br/>The University of Wisconsin professor's 26-word sentence is the shortest grand prize winner in the contest's 29-year history, Rice said. </blockquote><br/><br/>I think this counts for the “Wisconsin Rules the World” category. A win is a win is a win, after all.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/">Here’s the contest’s website</a>, which honestly looks like they’re gunning for some “bad websites” award or something. Maybe it’s supposed to be metaphorical.The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-45009099161061341362011-07-26T16:31:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:55:44.856-07:00The other 48% were too shocked to answer the question.<a href="http://www.creativeminorityreport.com/2011/07/52-approve-of-gods-job-performance.html">Matthew Archbold</a>:<br/><br/><blockquote>52% Approve of God's Job Performance</blockquote><br/><br/>Yep, <strong>somebody's polling God's approval numbers.</strong> Like, y'know, it matters or something. It's like polling George W. Bush's current approval numbers, except Dubya's authority went bye-bye two and a half years ago.<br/><br/>Matthew remarks:<br/><br/><blockquote>As ridiculous as this is, the good news is that 52% means God stands a pretty good chance of getting reelected, I guess. </blockquote><br/><br/>Think I'll put up a yard sign anyway, just in case.<br/><br/><blockquote>I wonder what the favorables are looking like nowadays for Old Scratch. I don't know but I'd bet they're climbing.</blockquote><br/><br/>Evil never does look the part.The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190743794690592196.post-24923801907768018992011-07-26T15:39:00.000-07:002011-08-09T10:55:44.856-07:00Insty has another pre-Ames GOP poll up……<a href="http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/125020/">with a few more names than the last one</a>. Texas Gov. Rick Perry is way out in front.<br/><br/><a href="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/automotivator_perry.jpg"><img src="http://troglopundit.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/automotivator_perry.jpg?w=450" alt="" title="automotivator_perry" width="450" height="586" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-23427" /></a><br/><br/><em>Ahead of you,</em> if you're a GOP wannabe right now. <em>That's</em> where. <br/><br/><strong>Note:</strong> this still doesn't constitute a TrogloEndorsement.<br/><br/><strong>Previously</strong>:<br/><br/><ul><li><a href="troglopundit.wordpress.com/2011/07/25/hey-wheres-perry-not-on-the-ames-straw-poll-thats-for-sure/">Hey, where’s Perry? Not on the Ames straw poll, that’s for sure.</a></li></ul><br/><br/><strong>UPDATE -</strong> <a href="http://hotair.com/archives/2011/07/26/why-all-your-exes-may-live-in-texas/">Ed Morrissey has more</a>.The TrogloPundithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15798281599396660959noreply@blogger.com0