Wow.  Um.  That’s some impressive opening statement in the debate against Lieberman tonight.  The first half of which was made while looking at the wrong camera entirely.

I can’t stand Joe.  Rooting for Ned.  But yeesh. 

Not gonna live-blog.  Just saying.  But in the first five minutes, it was all Joe.

Getting better, though.  Too bad Lieberman never speaks this forcefully and decisively to Republicans…

Update: nearing the end of the debate… Lamont got way better.  Lieberman often was victimized by his own knowledge of procedural minutiae, getting into details that weren’t nearly as compelling as Lamont looking straight into the camera saying simple things.  I almost felt bad for the old Bush-kissing guy.

That said, I’ve always hated how slogans and eye contact always win these things, even when they’re working for the candidate I prefer.  And some of Lamont’s slides (like on whether he would release his tax returns just now) and attacks (like linking Lieberman to Bush at every opportunity) were as transparently dodgy as they were well-done.

Go read this modern recasting of the Declaration of Independence, updated with links to how it all might apply to the current King George.  Really well done.

Via Skippy.

When I was a kid, you had to call a trick shot beforehand, or it didn’t count…

When the GOP finally does cut U.S. troops in Iraq, what will they call it?
Proof That Bush Never Planned A Permanent Military Presence
217   52.5%
Negative Redeployment Toward Ultimate Victory
147   35.6%
Unphased Rapid Re-Iraq-ification
40   9.7%
Failed Occupation With Honor
9   2.2%

So with the Iraq thing already costing hundreds of billions, the military overstretched, increasing troubles in Afghanistan, and plans for upcoming war with Iran still floating around, not to mention a National Guard which is also now supposed to be able to protect the Mexican border and help out with the next hurricane disaster to strike the red states… what the heck can Chimpy do about N. Korea?  Take the poll.

Was traveling for a few days.  Took a long 4th of July weekend, disconnected from the grid, and spent time with loved ones.

I hope any and all here had a similar great holiday.

Returning to LAX last night, my flight came in shortly after dusk, right during the peak period for the annual national blowing-shit-up demonstration.  So as the plane passed over the Los Angeles basin, I figured that maybe seven or eight or maybe even a dozen displays would be visible in the distance.

As always, my expectations were completely wrong.  Holy crap, was I wrong.

I have no idea how many people were setting off private backyard fireworks last night, but from the air it looked like hundreds.  I couldn’t even begin to count.  Bright white and multicolored streaks of light were shooting off everywhere.  The whole city seemed to be twinkling, so much so that it didn’t look quite real, like the sort of CGI effect you’d expect in a medium-budget action flick, just after the hero has saved the day and vanquished the would-be dictator/mass murderer/cable news magnate once and for all, and then the whole capital starts celebrating in the cheesiest way possible.

[Insert Comic Book Guy voice here.]  Best.  Fireworks show.  Ever.

Dawned on me that lots of fireworks in California are perfectly legal

This was sent in by a reader a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve been saving it for the World Cup, since this particular pudu looks like she’s in the middle of the most delightful chat about football:

I can only assume that this little one is cheering for Argentina, where many pudus live, and which has been doing very well.

Argentinian pudus particularly follow rugby, actually, since the team is called the Pumas, and pudus often mishear this and think everyone is yelling out support for the Pudus.

(Shh.  Don’t anybody tell.)

But pudus also love soccer.  And tomorrow, Argentina plays Germany in the quarter-finals.

"Vamos, vamos Argentina," sings this little pudu, hoping you’ll know the words and join in. "Vamos, vamos a ganar!"

Hope she’s still yakking away just as happily tomorrow after the game.

PS — no, pudus never really quite become soccer hooligans.  Even at their most fanatic, they’re still only about two feet tall.  So, pudooligans, maybe, tops.  But that’s still pretty cute.