No Broadening Our Horizons Today

Nope.  Our Happy Hour is graced with the presence of a couple of old faves... a CAO Italia Novella and a couple (mebbe more) o' Shiner Hefeweizens.  We've gone on about both before, the Shiner Hefe here and here, and the Italias here (among other places).  Just to refresh your memory...

The cigars.

The beer.

We are most comfortable in our habits, we are.  We're also Green (heh) in that we choose to recycle our pixels, the photos bein' from Current Happy Days Recently Passed.

Scrapin' the Bottom o' the Bloggin' Barrel IX

We're still acclimating ourselves to the new toy phone which is turnin' out to be quite a laborious and time-consuming process.  But it's not without rewards, given the joys of bein' able to surf these here innertubes, send and receive e-mail, so on and so forth, from any place there's suitable signal strength, albeit at speeds slower than what we're used to.  But the speed she is adequate, I suppose.  The camera, however, is not.  Adequate.  Witness:

That's a shot of last night's After Dinner Whiskey Hour libation, which was actually and pedantically After Dinner G&T Hour.  The only notable thing about that photo (which was re-sized to 30% of the original) is the complete and total absence of ANY condensation on that ice-cold glass.  Ya gotta love single-digit humidity when the temp is in the 90s, as it was when that pic was snapped.

Back to the subject at hand...  Now I suppose the quality of that photo is adequate for sneakin' a "People of Wal-Mart" shot or to grab sumthin' when your only other option is grabbin' nuthin'.  That said, the camera in the Evo is graphic proof that megapixels ain't everything when it comes to cameras.  My grab-shot Canon only has five megapixels (it's sumthin' like six years old, too), as opposed to the Evo's eight, and the photo quality compared to the Evo's is of the night and day sort.  

Thus endeth today's petty criticism.  And now it's off to The Big(ger) City™ and Cannon Airplane Patch for to run some errands.

Sayonara, Mr. Gates

Today is the SecDef's last day on the job.  From the Usual Source:

Gates Bids Farewell to Troops: On the eve of his last day in office, Defense Secretary Robert Gates issued a farewell message to troops. "It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve and to lead you for the past four and a half years," wrote Gates, who is stepping down Thursday after heading the Pentagon since December 2006. He continued: "[Y]our dedication, courage and skill have kept America safe even while bringing the war in Iraq to a successful conclusion and, I believe, at last turning the tide in Afghanistan. Your countrymen owe you their freedom and their security." He closed: "My admiration and affection for you is without limit, and I will think about you and your families and pray for you every day for the rest of my life." The Senate has confirmed CIA Director Leon Panetta to succeed Gates. Panetta is scheduled to assume his new post on Friday. (Gates biography)

I have some issues with the way Mr. Gates did his job, first among them his leading the charge in cancelling the F-22.  But as for his overall performance?  He was as good as we've had in that position in my lifetime and better than most.

Happy Trails, Mr. Secretary.

Then and Now

Occasional Reader and blog-bud Deb sent along an e-mail titled "Then and Now," which consisted of contrasting photos of celebrities taken in their youth and what they look like these days.  Herewith two such... rock'n'rollers who are dear to me:

 Neil Young

Linda Ronstadt

The e-mail had a tag-line which said "Oh my! Please God, be good to me!"  Which got me to thinkin'... what of MY "then and now?"  Here it is...

(age 53 and 66)

(added - 1975, when I was 30; SN1 on the left, SN2 on the right)
(click to embiggy, as always)
 

I think The Deity At Hand has been reasonably kind and merciful to me.  Your mileage... and your opinion... may vary, Gentle Reader.

Note:  Wanna see all of those "then and now" pics?  Drop me a line and I'll forward the e-mail to ya.

What IS It With These Canuckistan Hockey Fans?

OK... I can kinda-sorta see the method to the madness when it comes to the Cup Finals, but THIS?

So, how hot are Winnipeg Jets tickets for the team’s inaugural season in the reseller’s market? Sizzling hot.

Try $3,280 for a lower-deck seat for the home opener against the Montreal Canadiens on the popular ticket reseller site Stubhub.com. And yes, that’s for one seat in the 100-level.

A pair of these puppies for the opening game will run you $6,560. Ouch. The cheapest ticket on StubHub for that game is $844 in the upper decks. Yes, one ticket.

Ticket prices for Jets home games drop off markedly after that.

[...]

Resale tickets in markets like Montreal and Toronto are pretty pricey even without the novelty of having a new team in their town. A top ticket for Montreal’s home opener Oct. 13 against Calgary on the resale market would cost you $500.

In Toronto, their home opener against the Habs is going for a staggering $1,143 on resale.

In Edmonton, a lower-deck ticket on the resale market for the Oilers home opener is $399.

So that gives you some perspective on just how hot this ticket market is.

In Canada, mebbe.  Small-market teams in the US ain't doin' so hot right now or so I've heard, and this does not bode well for hockey.  I don't wanna see another lock-out, thankyaverymuch.

(h/t for both links to the usual [hockey] source)

More Truth

From the Usual Source.  Many's the Talking Head who've made the same sorta observation... that bein' all the Taliban have to do is wait us out... ever since The One gave his cynical and politically motivated version of the "Peace For Our Time" speech.  Yes, I question the timing...

I suppose I should be givin' props to our senior military guys for saluting smartly and movin' out on this, which IS exactly the right and proper thang.  I just can't find it in my heart to do that and I reserve the enlisted trash's god-given right to gripe, bitch, piss, and moan about the ossifers appointed above me... including my CinC.

We Caught the Early Bus Again...

... on account o' because we had to be over in  The Big(ger) City™ to get The Green Hornet's seat repaired.  And that's done and we're back and we have yet to make our Daily Rounds, seein' as how gettin' up at oh-dark-thirty only leaves time for nothing more than gulping down two quick cups o' coffee before cleanin' up and hitting the road at 0700 hrs.

We bought a new phone while we were over in Clovis... an HTC Evo 4G (pic at right)... a device that does more than make phone calls, which was about ALL my five year old phone did.  But it was time to upgrade, seein' as how five years is about all the useful life one can expect from these sorts of things, and it's best to replace it while it's still functioning rather than to have it go belly-up in the middle of the night.

I'm not one to be intimidated by devices or new technology but I AM looking at this thing with a rather jaundiced eye.  Any device that comes with a 25-page "Getting Started" booklet AND a 194-page "Basics Guide" (yup:  Basics Guide -- that's what it sez on the cover) is prolly more complicated than it needs to be.

I have my reading material in hand for the next couple o' few.  Whether "few" means hours or days remains to be seen... the first order of business is to figure out how to answer the damned thing when it rings.

Botany

So... there I was, cruisin' around on this gardening site earlier this evening (it might have been Better Homes & Gardens or Southern Living, or neither, or both, or sumthin') when I came across these pics:

WTF?  Is she growin' what I think she's growin'? And what happened to her bathing suit in that first picture?  Call me, Darlin'... we need to talk! 

I think the lady took Neil and Willie to heart here...



But what would I know?

Cheesy Videos XXII - After Dinner Whiskey Hour 06-27-2011

It's been nearly a year since we've posted a Cheesy Video and we find ourselves out of practice and the Cheesy Video Camera out of juice.  But neither of those circumstances will stop us, of course.  Herewith this evening's After Dinner Whiskey Hour, aka "watching a storm blow in."

It wasn't much of a storm... there bein' only enough rain to make The Green Hornet resemble a Green Leopard (spots, yanno?).  But we takes what moisture we gets, even when it comes in the smallest of doses.  And the dose most certainly WAS small, Gentle Reader.

Even MORE "Get Off My Lawn" Stuff

How did I miss this?  Specifically, "New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions," mentioned in the post immediately below.  "DWS" prolly has sumthin' to do with employment statistics, job opportunities, and the like but one cannot rightly tell from the pompous title.  I was thinkin' any organization with a title like "Workforce Solutions" just had to be ate up with the dumb-ass.  And I was right.  Witness:

The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions is a World-Class, market-driven workforce delivery system that prepares New Mexico job seekers to meet current and emerging needs of New Mexico businesses; and ensures that every New Mexico citizen who needs a job will have one; and every business who needs an employee will find one with the necessary skills and work readiness to allow New Mexico businesses to compete in a global economy.

That's their "vision statement," and they also have a mission statement, of course:

Enhance productivity and competitiveness of New Mexico business and industry by improving the quality and availability of the New Mexico workforce. We will accomplish this through a system that offers universal access to lifelong learning based on relevant local and regional labor market needs, via integrated, customer-focused accountable service partnerships. 

We ALL know any gub'mint org and most Fortune 500 companies need vision and mission statements chock-a-bloc with the latest and greatest in biz-school buzz words.  It's just too damned bad those things don't SAY or MEAN any-gotdamned-thing.  I can recall MANY painful hours working in ad hoc task forces chartered to develop such "statements" from my days with Ross Perot's Excellent Data Company... AFTER Mr. Perot left, of course.  We've gone on about this sorta thang before, specifically where my Beloved Air Force is concerned.  Here's an excerpt from one such rant:

There's nothing like the bureaucratic hive mind when it comes to developing and institutionalizing inanity.  Speaking of bureaucracy...

The chief master sergeant of the Air Force, the director of Air Force Public Affairs, the Air Force director of force management policy, and the commander of Air Force Recruiting Service provided the leadership oversight for the motto team research experts.

In early 2010, the motto team engaged in almost nine months of hands-on research that began with extensive face-to-face meetings with nearly 300 total force Airmen from all job specialties and in every major command. Airmen described to the team what they thought it means to be an Airman, to serve and what is unique about the Air Force.

[...]

An Air Force-wide survey to validate and quantify input from discussions indicated Airmen have a shared pride in their abilities to adapt to meet any threat, and they feel empowered to bring innovation and excellence to the mission of national defense.

After understanding the shared identity, the motto team began transforming words and concepts into a unifying, enduring and credible motto, said Lt. Col. Clark Groves, Ph.D., the lead scientist for the project.   

WTF?  Doesn't that just REEK of Harvard Bid'niz Review?  But leave us not not belabor the obvious.  Color me old fashioned, call me a fuddy-duddy, or just assume I'm not fully caffeinated at this hour but taking senior leadership's eyes (if PA and such can be called that) off the operational ball for "nine months of hands-on research," not to mention eating the time... however small it might have been... of "nearly 300 total-force airmen" to develop a frickin' motto tells me the kids ain't all right.  

You'd think the enlisted guys (that's in reference to credit given to the CMSAF) would have more sense but you'd be wrong, Gentle Reader.  There's more at the link, if'n you're interested.

That Kinda Day

I mentioned below that I'm havin' that sorta day... which is to say uninspired and unmotivated in the blogging space.  I don't have much to say and life hasn't delivered any surprises... pleasant or otherwise... over the last couple o' few.  In other words, we've been low and slow.  Which ain't all that bad.

But there is this...  I saw my first-ever WWFF guy (in P-Ville, not EVER) as I was leavin' Wally-World this morning.  He looked to be about my age (mid-60s) and was standing at the exit of the WW parking lot with his standard-issue cardboard sign and hang-dog look.  I smiled and waved at him as I pulled out of the lot but that was it... I don't have any spare change for your bucket, sir.  I might be short on compassion or mebbe I've turned into an unfeelin' SOB in my old age but there's this:

Monthly unemployment numbers in Curry and Roosevelt counties dipped to rates that haven’t been seen in two years and officials are crediting expanding industries as the reason.

The most current data available from the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions shows in April, Curry County’s unemployment dropped to 4.2 percent and Roosevelt County’s to 4.3 percent.

[...]

“It seems like that everybody’s attitude has changed and everybody’s feeling better about the economy,” said Chase Gentry, director of the Clovis Industrial Development Corp. “The spin-off of retail and sales usually drives employment.”

I've seen a LOT of "Now Hiring" signs in the general area of late but I suppose it's easier to stand out in the hot sun and beg.  You may publish your tut-tuts concerning my lack of sympathy in comments, should you have any.

―:☺:―

Speakin' o' Wally-World... I got the "bong-bong-bong" electronic shoplifter alert as I was strolling out with my purchases today and I fuckin' HATE it when that happens.  Everyone within 50 feet turns around and stares at you while the attendant rifles through your purchases, checks your receipt, and de-pilfers whatever wasn't properly de-pilfered when you checked out.  I think shoppers should be given an automatic ten dollar credit when they're falsely accused in that manner... just to defray all the accusatory looks.

Yeah... Get OFF My Lawn!

Saved By Zero E-Mail

I was originally gonna put sumthin' up titled "Monday Blahs" or some such, mainly coz it's that kinda day.  But my Occasional Correspondents came thru to save me, yet again.  There's this bit of amazing whimsy from Occasional Correspondent Lin, to begin with:

I can just imagine the conversation at the Winter Palace... "Well, your Fabergé egg IS precious, dahling, but have you seen my TWO singin' bird pistols?  Such an amazing little divertissement!"  They are pretty cool, I have to admit.  A veritable mechanical marvel... but are they worth $5.8 million?  Not around here.

From the sublime to the ridiculous...  Occasional Correspondent (Seattle) Andy sends along this link with the subject line "Your Soul Mate."  Here's a pic from the oh-so-brief article:

I'm beginning to feel blog-bud (Loosy-Anna) Andy's pain where pink dark mauve is concerned.  It's a kinda-sorta related pain, innit?

To close this loop and just in case the post title is sumthin' of a mystery...

I likes me some Fixx.

Intelligent Marketing...

... from Heineken:

Yup.  Focus on the contents, not the container.  Unless the container is more impressive than the beer, at which point... well, yeah... do what ya gotta do.

Gettin' Some Serious Consideration

The Weekly Standard has a very interesting three-page article on Michele Bachmann here.  A couple o' few teasers:

“I think Bachmann’s chances of landing on Jupiter are higher than her chances of being nominated,” Republican strategist Mike Murphy told me in an April interview for Washingtonpost.com.

Well, get ready for an interplanetary expedition. Bachmann is a far more serious candidate for the Republican nomination than her reputation would suggest. She’s a talented fundraiser who raised $13.5 million for her 2010 reelection campaign. She’s a television star who appropriately tailors her message to her audience. Her combativeness will delight conservatives eager to fight Barack Obama. Her movement credentials—she founded the House Tea Party Caucus—put her at the cutting edge of right-wing politics. And in a primary campaign where authenticity counts, no other candidate has Bachmann’s unique history: an Iowa native who put herself through law school, raised her five children and took in 23 foster children, and has never lost an election for state or federal office.

Since 2009, millions of Americans have attended rallies, joined Tea Party groups, and become involved in politics. They’re scared for the future of the country, and they want to stop America’s decline. Many of these activists are parents or grandparents who simply weren’t political before government policies drove them into the arena. Michele Bachmann is uniquely positioned to speak to these voters—because she’s one of them.

[...]

The two women (ed: Mrs. Palin and Mrs. Bachmann) are compared constantly. Both have five children, both are Christians, both were drawn into politics through their children’s education, and both are Republicans whom Democrats love to hate.

But there are also some differences. Whereas Palin makes emotional and cultural appeals to her supporters, Bachmann formulates an argument. She talks like a litigating attorney, and her speeches, op-eds, and interviews are littered with references to books and articles. Not all of her references are conservative. During our recent interview, Bachmann cited Lawrence Wright’s history of al Qaeda, The Looming Tower (“I love that book!”), to illustrate a point about the rise of radical Islam.

I'd also submit that Mrs. Bachmann has a much more impressive background and record of accomplishment than Mrs. Palin.  But that's just me, of course, speakin' as a much derided and frowned upon "Palin hater" in some circles.  I'm labeled as such even as my writings consistently demonstrate I like the woman, I just don't want her to run for president.  But we digress.

Mrs. Bachmann piques my interest; I like both her style and as much of her substance as I've seen to date.  I've not yet decided who will get my vote in next year's presidential primary but Mrs. Bachmann is a contender.  The leading contender, as of this moment.

Unintended Consequences... An Observation

What you see above is M'Lady's new bonnet... a well-engineered, well-fitting replacement for The Green Hornet's factory-installed top which lasted nearly 11 years, a testimonial to the longevity and general wonderfulness of the manufacturer's original equipment.  But the sensory experience is incomplete because what you cannot experience is the overwhelming, pervasive, fetid, and VERY obnoxious chemical smell emanating from said bonnet, which is overpowering... to say the very least.  I just stepped outdoors to move the sprinkler and that stench washed over me at a distance of some 20 feet... made worse, no doubt, because of our 104 degree ambient temperature.

I have hopes the smell will recede (if not vanish completely) with time and I have NO one to blame for this unfortunate occurrence other than myself, as I let the good people who replaced my top talk me into an OEM replacement to save a few bucks... the savings bein' substantial, indeed... as opposed to the cost of an original Mazda-sourced item.  The downside could not possibly have been foreseen so I just have to live with it, even though the smell makes me want to puke when I get into the car.  It's that strong and that offensive, Gentle Reader.

Sigh.  It's always frickin' sumthin', innit?

In Which We Give Props to Our Dental Professionals

Well, the message on this card is certainly appropriate coz we DO love our dentist and his wonderful staff, as you Gentle Readers who have been with me a while know very well.  I make that last statement because we have documented our extensive experience with Dr. Thompson... over eight years' worth, the biggest parts of which began here and ended here... a two-year Adventure In Modern Dentistry that involved multiple surgeries, bone grafts, and culminated in the placement of five dental implants.  It was all worth it, though, as my quality of life has improved considerably since the project was completed.  Read that as: I eat like a normal person now.  

So, the very brief and heartfelt testimonial aside (you want more? there's a lot more!), I thought all y'all might like to see the shining faces of Dr. Thompson and his staff (the Lovely Victoria, my hygienist, is at top right).  Aren't they the living definition of "Beautiful People?"  They're the very best at what they do, too.  You can take that to the bank.

Heh

Mr. Ramirez:

Emergencies, like beauty, are in the eye of the beholder.  That said, Obama has been lookin' particularly stupid of late.

―:☺:―

I know this is gettin' old, Gentle Reader, and I know for a fact you prolly don't give a big rat's ass about MY weather.  But there's this:

Full disclosure:  I chose the reporting location that always overstates the case for effect.  This station is usually above the reported temp at Cannon Airplane Patch by five degrees or so, but this time it's at least ten.  Our real temp at 1200 hrs was 101 degrees with five percent relative humidity.  These triple digit temps are beginning to get a bit old but it beats the HELL outta this shit.

A Minor Observation

One of the best things about my vision since cataract surgery is how much cleaner El Casa Móvil de Pennington appears to be.  That's because my eyes were corrected for distance vision and things in the middle distance and close-up are less than distinct.  So, one can conveniently ignore... or fail to see... the accumulation of "stuff" on the floor and elsewhere in one's daily life.  Until one leaves one's reading glasses on and walks into the Little Room to take a leak, that is.

Zounds.  I've been in cleaner gas station rest rooms.  Seriously.

So, it's 20 minutes later and we now have a sparkling bathroom.  My DIL... who keeps an immaculate house... must have been horrified when she came to visit a couple o' weeks ago.  Or mebbe not: the standard greeting guests get when they enter the premises is "don't look down."  There's more reason than ever for that warning these days and I'm beginning to think I really need a maid.

Just a Couple o' Thangs

Kitty Update:  (I KNOW.  I said I wouldn't, but I sometimes lie misspeak.)   I think something terrible happened to the four kittens that hang around El Casa Móvil de Pennington.  Mama Cat was acting very distraught last evening during After Dinner Whiskey Hour, meowing ceaselessly and repeatedly making wide circles around the entire area, with nary a kitten in sight.  That's a shame, if true, coz the kittens have been a never-ending source of entertainment this past week.  Mama Cat has been bringing birds for the kitties to devour every night for the past few (and LOTS of 'em, Mama Cat bein' quite the accomplished huntress; no dumpster soup kitchen for HER) and watching those going-ons have been supremely entertaining... even if the neighbor's yard looks like the aftermath of an explosion in a pillow factory.  We're talkin' a LOT of dead bird carcasses.  

It's middling strange I should feel so bad about this, given the cat-hating image I have to uphold.  Old Age has had the strangest effect on me.

Weather Update:  The Weather Deity At Hand is smiling upon us as our winds haven't picked up and our awning is deployed.  But it IS hot!

I see the forecast has been updated to reflect more misery is upon us for the foreseeable future.  We're also gonna set a record high today, but I suppose this is what I get for bein' an Anthropomorphic Global Warming Climate Change Denier.  Somewhere Algore is laughing his considerable ass off.

Update, 1350 hrs:  Do they LIE?

I think mebbe.

Weird Al Is BACK!

Too frickin' cool...

Now I've never seen a Lady Gaga performance (no fuckin' geezer jokes, mmmkay?) but I have it on good authority this spoof is spot-on.

File This Under "Miss Me Yet?"

Blackfive:

The President addressing the 10th Mountain Division today at Fort Drum:

"First time I saw 10th Mountain Division, you guys were in southern Iraq. When I went back to visit Afghanistan, you guys were the first ones there. I had the great honor of seeing some of you because a comrade of yours, Jared Monti, was the first person who I was able to award the Medal of Honor to who actually came back and wasn’t receiving it posthumously."

As we all know, SSG Sal Giunta, of the 173rd Airborne, was the first living recipient (2011) of the MOH who fought in Iraq/Afganistan. SFC Jared Monti, 10th Mountain Division, was KIA in Afghanistan in 2006. He was posthumously awarded the MOH by Obama in 2009.

Can you imagine Dubya making such a statement?  Neither can I.  I don't like Obama, I don't like his politics, but I respect the office of the president.  That said, this gaffe offends me to my very core.  Say what you will about President Bush but the man would NEVER make an error as grievous as this.  Period.  Obama is worse than a fuckin' joke... the man is not worthy of the position he holds.

(h/t: Mean Ol' Meany)

Feel Free To Disregard...

... coz all I'm gonna do is bitch.  About the usual, too.  We're just in from a routine visit with our favorite dental hygienist followed by a re-supply trip out to Wally-World, the visit with the Lovely Victoria bein' the better part of that excursion.   For it is miserable outdoors, Gentle Reader:

I can handle the heat... that ain't no Big Deal... but I have issues with the wind (as you well know).  We're right on the cusp of the safety zone where my awning is concerned and we have chosen to leave it furled, discretion being the better part of valor and all that.  I hope the wind dies down by tomorrow, coz I hate to think of the impact direct sun will have on El Casa Móvil de Pennington when the temp is 106.  That could get brutal.

Congrats Are Due

 LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 22: Nicklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings poses after winning the James Norris Memorial Trophy during the 2011 NHL Awards at the Palms Casino Resort June 22, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

I'd be seriously remiss if I didn't mention the fact that The Perfect Human won his seventh Norris trophy last night in Vegas.  Here's Scott Burnside, from ESPN's NHL Awards wrap-up:

That plus-minus stat? It's wildly overrated, as Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom won his seventh James Norris Memorial Trophy with a minus-2 rating. Still, Lidstrom was full value for the honor in what was the closest race since 1996.

Lidstrom edged out Nashville captain Shea Weber by a 736-727 margin. For the record, Weber was plus-7 and Zdeno Chara was a whopping plus-33. Chara was hot on the Norris trail, too; he had 33 first-place votes, while Lidstrom had 35 and Weber 32.

Lidstrom had 62 points during the season, second among all NHL defensemen, and logged considerable ice time with injuries to other Detroit defensemen, including Brian Rafalski.

"When I came over, I was just trying to make the team," Lidstrom said. "I figured I'd stay a few years and see what it's like playing over here and then go back to Sweden. I never envisioned myself playing for 20 years and having the success that I've been part of."

Success?  There's The Mom of All Understatements from the always humble and understated Lidstrom.  TPH is simply the BEST defenseman of this generation and (arguably) second only to the great Bobby Orr as the NHL's all-time best at his position.  Success, indeed.

TPH deserves another trophy, too... sumthin' along the lines about havin' The Perfect Family.  Regarde:

Wow.  Them Swedes have GOOD genes, don't they?

Whodunnit?

My Buddy Ed In Florida and I were discussing flamingos the other day... of the sort I have hangin' around El Casa Móvil de Pennington... and he told me about a group of 'em he'd seen recently.  He said he'd send me the pic as soon as he found it, and here it is:

Heh.  That's somewhere in Estes Park, CO.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack, AKA My Dark Secret

Bee Gees:

The tune was also on the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack album as if you didn't know, Gentle Reader, assuming you're "of a certain age."  And yeah: I bought it.  And I played it, a lot.  From The Wiki:

The cultural impact of Saturday Night Fever in the United States was tremendous.

[...]

The soundtrack also won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year.^[4]

In 2003, the album was ranked number 131 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

The soundtrack hit the #1 spot on Billboard Music Chart's Pop Album and Soul Album charts. In 2003 the TV network VH1 named it the 57th greatest album of all time.

Pretty successful, no?  The album's success and sales make it all the more interesting that a lot of my contemporaries pull a "Good Morning, Mr. Phelps" where SNF is concerned, which is to say they "disavow all knowledge" of its existence and the fact they boogied down to the tunes therein.  That might also be because we ALL know "Disco SUCKED," right?  Either that or the missions of my contemporaries weren't successful, thus the disavowal of all knowledge. 

As for me?  The fact I liked the album and always trotted it out at parties (to a universally positive reaction, especially from the wimmen) might be a dark secret in most circles today.  I'm not all that ashamed to admit it, tho... mainly because I got laid a lot had several deeply rewarding bonding experiences that were initiated and helped along while dancing to this album and I'm forever grateful for that.  The night often began with a lil Jive Talkin' and Boogie Shoes but moved on to How Deep Is Your Love? by the time the lights went low and things got serious, or as serious as they got back then.  Relatively speaking.

Nannies and Bots of the Evil Kind

It's still way early (for me) but David Burge is leading the sweeps for the day's best tweet with this:

@iowahawkblog David Burge

All in a day's work for the U.S. Department of Facepalm dailycaller.com/2011/06/22/fed…

Heh.  I'll have to file that away for future use.  Burge is right though... facepalm is the appropriate reaction after reading shit like this (from Burge's link):

The federal government has a growing interest in the eating habits of Americans for the same reason it has an interest in tobacco consumption, said Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

The reason is money, because three-quarters of medical-spending is driven by chronic diseases, such as obesity and tobacco-related diseases, she said.

Sebelius’ comments came at the tail-end of Tuesday’s White House press conference where officials showcased nine new photos that must be carried on cigarette packs. Officials used a survey of 18,000 people to find the images that would have the most distressing impact on groups of smokers, including young smokers and mothers of young kids. 

Ah, yes.  There's much to dislike here.  A "growing interest in the eating habits..." sounds both ludicrous and ominous at the same time, if that's possible.  Then again, those two words describe much of the gubmint's activities these days.  I won't rant about Nanny's new cigarette pack "warnings," except to say gubmint at ALL levels should be very careful what they wish for.  The taxes paid by cigarette smokers provide for a LOT of gubmint services, especially at the state level.  If every smoker in America quit today each of the 50 states would be in a budget crisis tomorrow.  What?  Oh, OK... make that a worse crisis.

―:☺:―

In other news... My baby has her new hat.  I left El Casa Móvil de Pennington just before 0700 hrs yesterday morning and didn't return until nearly 1800 hrs, which made for a mighty long day, lemmee tell ya.  I put that time to good use by doin' sumthin' I rarely do these days:  I read Robopocalypse from cover to cover (so to speak) in a single sitting.  The lede grafs from a review at IO9:

Cool robots unlike any you've seen before battle humans in a near-future world where computerized cars and military drones are out to smash all homo sapiens. Until some robotics geeks and an army of Osage natives learn to fight back. 

It sounds like the plot to the most awesome robot uprising movie ever, and one day it will be. For now, it's Daniel Wilson's first novel, Robopocalypse. Long before it hit bookstores this month, Wilson's book was already in Steven Spielberg's hands, being turned into a futuristic war movie. And when you read it, you'll see why. Though Robopocalypse follows the general outlines of the classic robot uprising story, it's packed with enough realistic detail and surprising twists that you'll be riveted. Imagine the smartest parts of the Battlestar Galatica remake crossed with the most awesome fight scenes from Independence Day. Yeah, it's kind of like that.

The references are lost on me seein' as how I'm not familiar with either, but the book is a serious page-turner.  This is just the ticket if you're looking for a beach book and you like sci-fi.