The Republic of T.

A “demotivation” for the day. C/o “Conservative sWho Are Not John Galt.”

This was my first experience of Ricky Martin. I didn’t know his name. I’d never seen him before. But by the time he was done, I — like a lot of people — wanted to know “Who is that guy?!”

“Do you really want it?” he sang. And by the time he was done…I did. I really did.

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Not much in the way of posts today (busy with work and family, etc.), but this slideshow presentation of “Teabonics” struck ma as worth sharing.

Enjoy!

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I spent yesterday at home with the boys. (We all had the day off, but the hubby had to work.) It was a busy day, but I took the time to snap this picture of Parker reading to Dylan, partly because it was just such a cute picture, and partly because it made me hopeful that I’m succeeding at something I wanted to accomplish as a parent.

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I was wondering why this post was suddenly getting so many Google search hits.

Now I know.

The Russian prime minister was photographed engaged in a series of adventurous activities including riding a horse bareback and climbing trees in southern Siberia.

In the latest of a series of media stunts Mr Putin was snapped striding through grassy fields wearing ankle high boots, an Indiana Jones style-hat and green fatigues while visiting the remote Russian region of Tuva.

The Russian premier camped out overnight, rafted down the region’s fast flowing rivers and visited a traditional farmstead, according to Russian news agencies.

Mr Putin’s day of activities were described as a “holiday” by state media but was clearly aimed at reinforcing his tough-guy image that plays so well at home.

I guess anytime this guy want to score media points, he strips off his shirt…

Dylan has a case of the “scoots”. So I’m home with him, and not likely to post much today. I’ve got a couple in the works for later.

In the meantime, I thought this captioning contest from McClatchy Newspapers looked like fun.

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And along my route, these are the signs.

The term “hamster wheel” has been stuck in my mind all day.

Just one question. How does one get off the crazy thing?

I seem to be coming up with more of these lately…

This pretty much fits my mood right now.

A few of these are my own creations (made with a new toy I’ve found).

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Well, no. But the image above was recently named World Press Photo 2008, and the judges framed it in a war context.

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There’s an interesting story behind this image.

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Todd Gitlin over at TPM Cafe has an interesting post up about Bernie Madoff’s smile.

Take a look at the NYT photo of Bernard Madoff arriving at court to hear a Federal judge uphold a lower-court decision that he may stay in his splendid apartment while out on $10 million bail.

…It’s his triumphant smile that interests me. Most Madoff photos display that same smile of controlled geniality. He knows all the angles. He knows how the game is played, that is, rigged. This is the smile of a man who knows. He knows the game. He knows you and he knows me. When he was ahead of the game, he basked in the glow of esteem. He relished the chance to grant favors. He prided himself in making his friends richer. When the house of cards collapsed, he was left standing. He believes that he will remain standing. He knows his good fortune has been to live in the right place at the right time to get his name engraved in cornerstones. He has probably worked out a way to feel like a martyr. Losers are schmucks. What he knows is what George W. Bush knows: God bless America, a country where he’s going to land on his feet.

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Normally I post these without much comment. But I this time I couldn’t help it.

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