My Fred Thompson Post-Mortem

Patrick Ruffini wrote one on Hugh Hewitt's site, so I thought I'd express my own thoughts here.

Fred's moment came when he made his YouTube response to Michael Moore and totally destroyed him. He should have been prepared at that moment to launch his campaign, because all the eyes of the blogosphere and, to a smaller extent, the MSM, were focused on him at that moment. Fred didn't have the funds at that moment, but how much did it cost to do the YouTube video?

Imagine if Fred had done a whole series of those videos, and released one or two per week: each one explaining his take on issues, or responding to an attack, or making an attack of his own. During this period he would be preparing his formal run by assembling his team and starting the fundraising process. The videos would continue throughout the campaign, until the very sight of Fred swiveling in his chair and taking his cigar out of his mouth would be the signal to be ready for something entertaining and enlightening.

He didn't do it, obviously. Wish I'd emailed him back when the Moore video came out and suggested it. Maybe he just needed someone to nudge him a little to see how effective it was.

Ah, well.

Poe Toaster Day!

A yearly tradition, going on for over 40 years:

Small article here.

Updates as details emerge.

Update: He showed up.

BALTIMORE (AP) — Undeterred by controversy, a mysterious visitor paid his annual tribute at the grave of Edgar Allan Poe early Saturday, placing three red roses and a half-filled bottle of cognac before stealing away into the darkness.

Nearly 150 people had gathered outside the cemetery of Westminster Presbyterian Church, but the man known as the "Poe toaster" was, as usual, able to avoid being spotted by the crowd, said Jeff Jerome, curator of the Poe House and Museum.

The tribute takes place every Jan. 19 — the anniversary of Poe's birth.

The visitor did not leave a note, Jerome said, electing not to respond to questions raised in the past year about the history and authenticity of the tribute.


One of my favorite days of the year because of this tradition. *laughs*

Volcano Galeras Erupting In Columbia.

AP story.

Galeras notoriously killed a bunch of scientists in 1993 that had descended into the crater to take instrument readings. Apparently quiet, the volcano woke up when they were already inside the crater itself. Being hit by red-hot boulders is a memorable way to go, I guess.

Volcano Erupting In Chile.

The Llaima volcano in Chile is erupting.

Asteroid May Hit Mars, Scientists Excited.

Only a 1 in 75 chance, though.


Prize quote: "Unlike an Earth impact, we're not afraid, but we're excited."

I bet he hates "Papa Smurf" jokes.

Life as a blue guy.

Hillary '08: The Likability Tour

via NY Times.

It's fundamentally that she seems cold-blooded; some people can find affection for a snake or lizard, but it'll never be the same as a kitten or puppy. It didn't work for Nixon, won't work for Hillary.

Peter Jackson to produce The Hobbit

via NY Times.

Not to direct, but produce, but he'll be given great deference, obviously. Two movies called for; one being The Hobbit, the other being a new Middle-Earth-themed movie base on the period between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

This second movie idea is intriguing, but allows Hollywood writers (or the NZ equivalents, if Jackson stays in NZ) to play with Tolkien's universe, which is potentially a disaster, if not a franchise-killer. That period in Middle-Earth was of chess pieces being moved into position, mainly. Gollum had some adventures, Balin entered Moria to re-establish the dwarf presence there, but it was mainly a calm before the storm. It will be interesting to see.

A few Lolhitches.

Added: welcome Ann Althouse readers! Sorry I don't spend much time here, it's more interesting for me to spend time in Middle-Earth, where I can swing a sword at my opponents, instead of invective.

Greater Love Has No Man

MSNBC's great article on self-sacrificing heroes.

The inexplicable case of the nobodies who become somebodies, usually at the cost of their own lives.


h/t Hot Air.

The King of Spain: A Ringtone!

King Juan Carlos's insult to Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has become a hit ringtone in Spain.

It's not the King's own voice on the ringtone because of legal reasons; an actor is used. Still, can world domination be far behind?

Be On The Lookout...

...for the annual news stories of gold coins being left in Salvation Army kettles. It's a sort of a tradition at this time of year.

*laughs*

The Russian Branch Davidians?

Hiding in a cave, waiting for the apocalypse.

Let's see the Russian solution to this scenario.

Whoa!

Suuupaaaah Geeeeeenius!

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Michael Yon Channels Joe Rosenthal.

Here.

If the photo is as huge a hit as I think it will be, the church will be a target. Please make sure that is taken into account.

Skullduggery At Sea!

Two men are being held in the possible murder of a Florida boat crew, after it was found drifting near Cuba.

Yemeni Volcano Erupting.

Story here.

Apparently some soldiers stationed on the island volcano died in the blast. It last erupted in 1883.

Hazards of Hotel Work - - The Series

Since I anticipate this to be a continuing series, I titled it as I did and will track it accordingly.

So...

This evening an extremely fat man waddled in, the sort that wheezes and gasps as he walks. I'm fat myself, but this guy outweighed me by about 50 or more pounds. He appeared to be in distress, and his slimmer companion asked if he was all right, which he answered in the affirmative. He waddled into the men's room.

A few minutes later, I stepped out of the office and into the lobby, as was confronted with what looked like dog shit on the floor. It tracked down the hall, and I glanced around the corner and saw that it ended at the men's room, from whence I could here distressed groans and panting for breath.

The fat man had shit on my floor.

I cleaned up the crap in the hallway, and the fat man, when he finished a half hour later (apparently he'd had to wash his shorts in the sink) cleaned the men's room, because when I checked, the room, although it smelled of shit, was clean enough to use. The fat man, I should say, went to his room without bothering to stop by the desk to explain or apologize.

Such is hotel work.

Marcel Marceau Is Dead.

Story Here.


I think we can all agree that a moment of silence is appropriate, can't we?

Best Ham In The World?

From Spain, of course.

Spanish cuisine tickles the palate in a thousand ways: ugly but delicious creatures called goose barnacles; boiled octopus with a dash of olive oil and paprika; thick, mushy sausage made from pig's blood.

Spaniards are nothing if not dedicated eaters.

Now, hard-core foodies are drooling over the prospect of something truly superlative from Spain, at least in price: a salt-cured ham costing about $2,100 per leg, or a cruel $160 per pound. It's a price believed to make it the most expensive ham in the world.

The 2006 Alba Quercus Reserve (as this pricey pork will be known) won't be available until late 2008 and you must buy the whole ham or nothing at all. But that hasn't dissuaded gastronomic Web sites and blogs from buzzing with talk of the farm where it is being produced, likening it to a Mount Olympus of pork.

Its mastermind, Manuel Maldonado, 44, comes from a long line of ham producers in a country that's nuts about the stuff. In bars and restaurants, legs of ham hanging from the wall are as common as TV sets.

But Maldonado is taking the art of the ham to new heights, pampering his pigs with a free-range lifestyle and top-quality diet of acorns before slaughtering them, then curing the meat for two years — twice as long as his competitors.

It's that last step that Maldonado credits with creating a delicacy that justifies the heavenly price.


The best of the world's Serrano ham. Sounds delicious.