Remember When We Voted For BO's Dog?

I know I voted for the Chinese Crested because it was obviously a collectivist.

But today I'm asking readers to weigh in on a possible- and I stress possible- acquisition of a third dog.  Here's the back story: as you know, we lost Tristan the Happy Warrior last summer.  My dearly beloved really thought Tristan was the best and misses him, but has been loathe to "replace" him, because he wants Tristan.  I, on the other hand, would like a dog with a couple of key charcteristics to achieve optimum caninicity chez nous.  Those would be: large-ish, sweet tempered and cooperative, but optimally with a playful side.  The driver for me is my mother, who has some dementia but remembers with great fondness her childhood best friend, her German Shepherd who died historically and probably valiantly during the 1933 Long Beach/Huntingdon Beach earthquake.  Mom lives in a personal care home with 3 others who have more profound dementia, and they love seeing my Corgi, but she's pretty reticent around them.  It dawned on me that I could be doing a lot of good if I adopted a dog who was in need of a home and put him/her to work as a pal of the impaired at my mom's residence.  Anyway, dog needs to be big to see my mother, who has very limited mobility.  There isn't much I can do for Mum, but I can do this.

I have tentative agreement from the SO, and have been looking for a while.  Here are two candidates from a rescue group that I have a lot of admiration for, Austin Dog Rescue.  They are entirely volunteer and they rescue dogs from kill shelters, spay/neuter them, vet them, and train them.  Really a nice group.

First, the lovely Diamond (click on the pic to go to her link):

And the loveable mutt with the spookily similar name, Trista (she's the bouncy black dog):

Lemme know what you think.

Morning Jolt®

I'm really liking Jim Geraghty's Morning Jolt.  Subscribe here.

In his "Addenda" bit, he notes that John and Elizabeth Edwards are separated.  It's a shame- I had the perfect Valentine's Day gift for E to give to J:

OK, maybe she could spring for an undetonated pair.  Gives whole new meaning to the phrase, "Blow job."

Does "al-Qaeda's Secret" have an 800 number?  Lemme ask Nadal Hasan.

Also, Mike Pence is not running for Evan Bayh's seat because he thinks that Republicans will take back the House in November.  I like this on a number of levels.  Mike Pence has become one of my favorite pols because I trust a man who is all in for the team.  Mind you- taking the House will not be easy, but Mr. Pence is committed.  Excellent.

Bob McDonnell's Response

Lookin' dapper.

Create jobs, good.

I like the Virgina statehouse location.

Strengthen private sector to create new jobs.

No taxation, legislation, regulation.

Fed Gov trying to do too much.

Deficit spending, on pace to double in 5 years, triple in 10.

Restore the proper, limited role of gov't at every level.  [big app line]

Results, not rhetoric.

HCR: most Americans don't want to hand over HC to fed gov.

Common sense reforms: tort reform, insurance.  Transparent plans [BO, the plans are on Twitter!]

We're hopping on the Drill Baby Drill mantra, much to Tom Friedman's chagrin.  [Sarah Palin, We Love You!! You changed the debate! You went first where the REp establishment didn't dare to go!]

Nat'l Defense: Iraq is succeeding.  Thank you, military.  

Afghanistan, good; but dealing with suspected terrorists is a big problem ref Scott Brown [nice touch]

Conservative tp's.

Regulation, taxation bad; gov't closest to the people governs best. Standing O.

Create more opportunity- and thank you, Bob, for mentioning the protection of innocent life.

Nice speech- one of the best I've ever heard.  I think it's as much to do with speaking in front of a crowd as anything.  He could have hit much harder on national security: what about Ft Hood?  But the econ response was good.

Blogging SotU, 6

I'm sorry.  This is just so phony.  

A new decade stretches before us [but we can't forget how crappy the last 8 years were.]

Well, I commend him for keeping this to 70 minutes.

No pivots.

Charles Krauthammer: "He tries to speak as an outsider but he's on the inside.  He is Washington."

I didn't get the whole, "I'm not a quitter" thing.  It was incongruous.  I'm not sure anyone thinks he's really doing anything except getting in front of the cameras [C. Krauthammer says: "He's on TV more than Regis."]

It's striking how all of this is personal- someone will look at the speech and find that he said "I" or "Me" more than 200 times.

Blogging SotU, 5

We help people because it's right.  Continuing the HIV AIDS initiatives (no credit to GWB)  

We always stand up to defend human dignity unless it's the dignity of teenaged girls who are publicly flogged for having cell phones at school.

Don't ask, don't tell.  

OMG: equal pay for women!  oh yeah.

AMNESTY!  Clearly we're in the red meat to the base part of the speech... unity in diversity... yada yada.

Wait a minute: government is FULL of good and honest people?

OH FINALLY THE MOMENT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR.  CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN.  HE'S BANISHING MY CYNICISM BUT HE NEVER PROMISED HE COULD DO IT ALONE.  HE PROMISED BUT HE NEVER PROMISED IT WOULD BE EASY. 

This is the biggest bunch of crappola.

This is beginning to sound like the staircase scene in "Tootsie." Just a little too earnest.

Blogging SotU, 5

WAIT: DID HE JUST SAY WE CAN'T BE WAGING A PERPETUAL CAMPAIGN???

Bubble-buster Blackberry must not have been working the last year..

BTW, I'm watching Fox, but CNN is having terrible sound probs;

OH: let's lecture the Republicans for being obstructionist in advance.  Awesome.

REjecting false choices. Fear and division.  [drinking game alert.]

Security, substantial investments. OK, more al-Qaeda have been killed in 2009 than IN 2008!!! YES I AM BETTER THAN BUSH.

We are taking the fight to al-Qaeda, except for those two incidents in Nov and Dec when they brought it to us.

Nice pitch for vets.  Can't disagree with the sentiment.

Michelle is joining with Joe Biden, a.k.a. The Other First Lady, to support military families (I like this, btw: good initiative.)

Oh, boy: nuclear security summit.  Securing all nuclear stuff around the world...but what about Iran?

Islamic Republic of Iran will face consequences!  Quick, cut to Ahmadinejhad yawning.

Blogging SotU, 4

Unintentional laugh line: "Spending limits will start next year.  That's how budgeting works..."

"Let's try common sense." [crickets]

"We face a deficit of trust." [crickets]

"Do our business openly." [applause- from Republicans.]

All this is the transparency routine.  We heard this all b-4 didn't we?  I feeling that campaign feeling again- ooooh a thrill up my leg.

Did I miss the national security stuff?

Earmark reform c'mon everybody, stand up.

I love the post-partisan talk from the most polarizing president EVER.

Blogging SotU, 3

Oh, shit.  What this guy knows about education can fit in a Bill Ayer's tract.  Let me just say: stop subsidizing college education.  Forgive those loans after 20 years?  After 10 if you go into public service?

Joe Biden looks like he's gone to his happy place.  Now we're touting everything we did for the middle class.  Don't let the astronomical foreclosure rates for "renegotiated

Oh gawd: he said it: HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM.  Everyone who stands for this one gets medicare paid for 5 years

"I, I, I, I, I, I..." blah blah blah.  He's still selling this crap

Michelle, thank you honey for tackling childhood obesity. [She looks nice by the way.  I like the 'do and maroon is a good color for her.  She should go to more Redskins games.]

He didn't explain HCR clearly enough.  Too much horsetrading.  But people are dying. blah blah blah.  We aren't walking away.  Speak for yourself, buddy: half the chamber just ran out with their hair on fire.

Hey: the big bipartisan outreach- the Republicans jumped up.  Just show the man your ideas! He'll listen. No, really- this time he will. Honest.  

Uh, oh: let's set the record straight: We're on the BLAME BUSH TOUR!!!

"All this was befoh I walked in the doh.  Just statin' th' facks."

Belt tightening alert.  

He's getting all veto-y on us.  Line by line page by page.... Didn't we hear this last year?  

OH MY GAWD WE'RE BACK TO THE $250K LIMIT THAT HE BLEW THROUGH W/ HCR!!!

'nother Blame Bush.  He's only responsible for his stuff, not for his predecessor's. Riiiiiggggghhhhht.