Um…..

It lifts and separates. It makes everything protrude outward instead of down toward the ground. It is the next (you should pardon the expression) big thing. And it ain't Maidenform.

It's men's underwear.

Since the launch seven days ago, AussieBum says it has sold 50,000 pairs of "Wonderjock", mostly on its Web site www.aussiebum.com and a handful of stores around the world.

"The design of the underwear, separates and lifts. The fabric cup protrudes everything out in front instead of down towards the ground," said "Wonderjock" designer Sean Ashby.

"There is no padding, rings or strings," said Ashby, a co-founder of the Internet-based AussieBum firm.

Ashby said the idea for the "Wonderjock" was the result of online feedback from customers who expressed an interest in looking bigger, just like women using the "Wonderbra".

So, two guys are walking down the beach. One gets a lot of looks from passing women. The other, not so much. So the second guy asks the first what his secret is. The first guy says that all you need to do is stuff a potato into your swimsuit. The next day, the two guys are walking down the beach. First guy gets a lot of looks. Second guy also gets looks. He also gets a lot of laughs from the women. When he asks the first guy why was he getting laughed at when he followed the instructions, the first guy says, " The potato should have gone in front".

No, Not Sonny, The Other One

Bono

Passing (Badly) For Humor

Pam over at Blogmeister USA has posted a, frankly, pathetic video that someone made to try to hit at Joe Lieberman. It may get a few laughs, but not for the reason its author thinks it will. Go over and shake your booty head. I did.

Brits Cooperate In Their Conquest

Oh the shame of it. The British are yielding to dark forces arrayed against them. They are taking the invaders in and nurturing them. They are promoting their own conquest in a misguided attempt to be kind and civilized. They are allowing the uncontrolled growth of the very forces that will eliminate them. Are we writing about Londonistan? Nah, that's been done already. We're talking something even worse.

Antarcticstan.

Penguins at London Zoo are breeding like never before after their living quarters got a much-needed makeover.

Since 1934 the zoo's flock of South African black-footed penguins have lived in the stark modernist enclosure designed by Russian architect Berthold Lubetkin.

But while the white concrete design featured in advertisements, movies and fashion shoots, senior bird-keeper Tim Savage said the enclosure was making the birds unwell.

"Walking around on concrete all day was not very good for their feet or their joints," Mr Savage said.

"Also, although they are African penguins and are used to tolerating warm temperatures, because it's like a circle all the white walls used to reflect the heat into the middle and it used to get incredibly hot."

However, the main problem was that the poorly ventilated nesting boxes in the old compound were causing the penguins to come down with aspergillosis - a fungal lung infection common in penguins.

Their chicks had to be hand-reared by keepers because their underdeveloped lungs made them especially susceptible to the infection.

So in Nov 2004 the penguins were moved a bit closer to nature in a new, more stimulating enclosure, featuring sand, gravel, boulders and plants.

A deeper pool meant the birds could be fed by having to catch fish thrown to them in the water.

The new enclosure also included conventional but well-ventilated nesting boxes.

The penguins have thrived in their new environment and have even started digging their own nests under plants or rocky outcrops.

The result has been a penguin breeding boom at the zoo.

You poor, blind fools. The fungus was keeping them under control. Now the flightless waterfowl squadrons of the animal uprising have a new and improved breeding ground. You're doomed. Doomed we tell you.

The Democrat’s Problem

They have one brewing regardless of the outcome of the election. I noted earlier the finger-pointing pre-mortems already happening in the Connecticut Senate race. I noted the fear some operatives have that Joe Lieberman might have coattails - for Republicans. I've noted Kerry's attack (intentional or not) on military personnel and noted that the left was incapable of understanding the damage that was doing. I've noted the latest incident of the left thinking the use of blackface was acceptable. (I was informed by a lefty commenter that I lacked a sophisticated sense of humor because I did not get it. I'd rather not be sophisticated if that is acceptable, thank you.)

And now, one of the most strident of the left wing bloggers is offering PR advice to the Dems. The advice? Attack, attack, attack. (Indirect link via Hot Air). Other left wing bloggers want to attack Harold Ford. For not being loyal enough, apparently. I could go on. I think you get the picture.

The Democrats will, whatever happens next week, have a seriously angry group of people to contend with. Ones that don't really care who they attack, fellow Democrats will do nicely in a pinch.

UPDATE: Why what Kerry said - and failed to apologize for - matters very much. Contrary to what the left assumes, it is real outrage. It is not spin, it is not hype. See NZ Bear and Dean Barnett.

Surprise! Venezuela Caves!

Venezuela and Guatemala have agreed to both withdraw and allow Panama as the substitute candidate for the open seat on the UN Security Council.

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - Guatemala and fierce US critic Venezuela agreed to withdraw from their deadlocked contest to secure a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council to make way for Panama, Ecuador's UN ambassador announced.

Ambassador Diego Cordovez made the announcement to reporters after two rounds of talks between Guatemalan Foreign Minister Gert Rosenthal and his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro at Ecuador's United Nations mission.

The choice of Panama as a compromise candidate has to be endorsed by the UN Latin American and Caribbean Group.

"The two foreign ministers have agreed on two issues," said Cordovez, who mediated between Venezuela and Guatemala.

"Both will withdraw their candidacy to the Security Council, and second, Panama will be the country that the three of us will present to the (Latin American) group" to represent the region, Cordovez said.

I really thought (T)Hugo would hold out longer hoping to prove he was relevant. Or something.

Special Delivery

The US Postal Service likes to use a line from Herodotus as its motto: "Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." Nowhere in there, not even remotely does it say anything about squirrels.

Barb Dougherty, a 30-year Postal Service employee, said she was attacked and bitten Monday by a squirrel while delivering mail in Oil City, about 75 miles north of Pittsburgh.

"It was a freak thing. It was traumatic," Dougherty told The Derrick in Oil City. "I saw it there on the porch, put the mail in the box and turned to walk away and it jumped on me."

The animal ran up her leg and onto her back, she said.

"I eventually got a hold of the tail and pulled it off me," Dougherty said. "No one was home at the house where I was delivering the mail, but the neighbor lady heard me screaming and came over."

An ambulance took Dougherty to the hospital, where she was treated for cuts and scratches. The squirrel was killed with a BB gun and sent to a lab to be tested for rabies. Dougherty was given the first series of rabies shots as a precaution.

So now the animal uprising is trying to interfere with the US Mail. This must not be allowed. My subscription to Modern Bloggery is due any day! We must stamp this out! If you see a squirrel waiting to ambush a mail carrier, feel free to bend, fold, spindle and mutilate the ravaging rodent.

Kerry Issues Apology

Somebody finally smacked him hard.

WASHINGTON - Thrust into the midst of the midterm election campaign, Sen. John Kerry apologized Wednesday to "any service member, family member or American who was offended" by remarks deemed by Republicans and Democrats alike to be insulting to U.S. forces in Iraq.

Six days before the election, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee said he sincerely regretted his words were "misinterpreted to imply anything negative about those in uniform."

In a brief statement, Kerry attacked President Bush for a "failed security policy." Yet his apology, issued after prominent Democrats had urged him to cancel public appearances, was designed to quell a controversy that party leaders feared would stall their drive for big gains on Nov. 7.

He should not have attacked again, however. That just makes it look like a political apology and makes it ring false. He may have given the media a way to back away from the story, but he already did a lot of damage. My guess is the party saw some numbers they did not like and clobbered him for this.

UPDATE: STACLU sees the same mistake. Kerry should not have attacked. Greg Tinti sees it, too.

UPDATE: If Kerry had been smart enough to hire The Anchoress (or even ask for her help) he would have gotten it right. She gives clear, easy to understand directions on how to apologize.

UPDATE: Others: LGF, Riehl World, Wizbang, Captain's Quarters, Bizzyblog, Tammy Bruce, Blackfive,

Bit Of A Difference

In how these things are handled. A lawmaker makes a dreadful mistake and says things he should not. Lawmaker is pressured by colleagues in the same party to do the right thing. Lawmaker does not go on the offensive, does not try to shift blame. Lawmaker does the decent thing and resigns.

Well you knew it wasn't John "Look! I'm a magic hat" Kerry.

HIALEAH, Fla. - A state lawmaker under fire for leaving a message filled with obscenities and a racial slur on a colleague's voice mail resigned Wednesday from the Florida Legislature.

State Rep. Ralph Arza had been urged to step down by fellow House Republicans and by Gov. Jeb Bush.

In a news conference Wednesday, Arza apologized for his actions and said he didn't want to distract from the work of the Republican-led Legislature.

"I do not want to be the story," he said.

Arza had acknowledged leaving the message on fellow Republican Rep. Gus Barreiro's voice mail last month but said he was drunk.

He said he had learned that Barreiro had filed a complaint alleging he had earlier used a racial epithet when referring to Miami-Dade County school superintendent Rudy Crew, who is black. He used the same epithet in his phone message to Barreiro, who is Hispanic, but he has vehemently denied ever using a racial slur to refer to Crew.

Arza was under pressure from his own party. Nobody tried to excuse what he said or cover for him. Seems a bit different, doesn't it?

Florida Realizes Danger!

Florida is finally awakening to the danger right at their doorstep. Long known as the home of the reptile legions of the animal uprising - well, around here, anyway - Florida officials now realize that there is one alligator for every 18 people in the state. And they are getting nervous.

TALLAHASSEE, Florida (Reuters) - The once-endangered alligator has made such a phenomenal comeback in Florida that state wildlife officials are considering making it fair game once again.

Once hunted to dangerously low levels and displaced by urban development, the "gator" population in the state is now estimated at 1 million, or one alligator for every 18 Florida residents

Increasing numbers of gators and people make increasing encounters more likely. At least two people died in alligator attacks this year. Before that, there had only been 18 fatal alligator attacks in Florida since 1948.

The population boom is prompting state wildlife officials to reconsider hunting restrictions that continued to protect the species after the American alligator came off the federal endangered list in 1987.

In December, the state government will be asked to approve proposed changes to extend the annual hunting season, currently around two-and-a-half months, and increase hunting limits.

The proposed new rules would also allow Florida property owners to take matters into their own hands if a rogue gator comes calling, and kill the reptile.

Whoo hoo! No more alligators disguised as doormats! Or rather, a Florida homeowner who discovers a camouflaged alligator can blaze away! We caution our Florida readers that the rules are not approved yet, so don't go getting antsy just yet. That doesn't mean you can't stock up on JHP, though! Take advantage of those fall sales!

The Most Important Senate Race?

Jay Bryant over at Real Clear Politics thinks that the most important Senate race is happening right on Washington's doorstep. It isn't Virginia, either. It is the Maryland Senate race. Now I noted the surprise endorsement of Michael Steels by a group of influential black politicians in Prince George's County yesterday. I am not all that well versed in Maryland politics, so while I saw the announcement as important, I could not see all that is behind it. It turns out that this is much. much more than it seemed at the time. This is potentially a political earthquake.

Tipping the balance in the Senate is only one of the two reasons Steele's campaign is the most important in the country this year, but before we look at the other reason, let's discuss the importance of yesterday's endorsements.

Prince George's County is a huge, majority-black area east of Washington, D.C. With a total population of just under 850,000, it's the second-largest jurisdiction in the state, with some 225,000 more people than the city of Baltimore. As you would expect given its ethnic makeup, it's a Democratic stronghold. In 2002, the ticket of Governor Bob Ehrlich and Steele won statewide by four percentage points (52-48), but lost in Prince George's by fifty-three percentage points (76-23).

So why a high-powered leadership would group from Prince George's break ranks with their party and support Steele? (And they are high-powered. Their leader is a two-term former County Executive, Wayne Curry, arguably the most popular politician in the county. Five others are members of the County Council. Another, Major Riddick, was the top aide to former Governor Parris Glendening. Also on hand were one of the Democrats' top fundraisers, several prominent businessmen and other community leaders.)

Part of it is that Steele is a Prince Georgian. The county leaders know him, like him and respect him. But that alone wouldn't be nearly enough to cause them to break ranks with their party in a critical election.

What it's really all about is that blacks in Maryland have begun to realize that they've been being snookered by the white-dominated Democratic Party all these years. As Riddick put it, "They've been showing us a pie, but we never get a slice."

Read the whole thing. I suspect Bryant is on to something here. This endorsement is probably enough to push Steele over the top. More than that, it may mean the landscape just changed radically in Maryland politics.

Lamont’s Legacy?

Uh oh. If this happens, there's a few people who might want to hide after the elections. The Associated Press is reporting that some Democratic operatives are very nervous in Connecticut. There is a very real fear that Joe Lieberman might energize and get out the Republican and Independent voters.

And carry some Republicans over the finish line on his coattails.

The three-term Connecticut senator is aggressively pursuing Republican and independent voters in his race against Democratic nominee Ned Lamont and little-known Republican Alan Schlesinger. That targeted appeal — and the potential for a strong GOP turnout — could save three GOP House incumbents struggling to return to Washington.

"There's resentment on a lot of people's parts," said Richard Smith, Democratic town committee chairman in Milford, a New Haven suburb. "There's something about the American character. We love a good fight, but we also love people who play by the rules. C'mon Joe, you're a Democrat or you're not a Democrat. Sometimes, self-interest takes the day."

Reps. Christopher Shays, Nancy Johnson and Rob Simmons — GOP moderates in a Democratic-leaning state — have been on everyone's vulnerable list for months. Democrats need to gain 15 seats to win the House, and the three Connecticut districts consistently have been part of the calculation.

Lieberman has the support of 73 percent of Republicans and 51 percent of independents, according to a Quinnipiac University survey released Wednesday. Schlesinger trailed far behind in single digits in the head-to-head matchup.

Lieberman's coattails could carry the GOP incumbents to re-election and undercut Democratic hopes of majority control of the House.

"It does help me," Shays said in a recent interview. "I know there will be a lot of Republicans who will vote for him, as well as a lot of independents and Democrats. … Joe is the kind of person who reaches across the political divide, and I am like that as well."

Shays is running neck-and-neck against Democrat Diane Farrell in a district that includes affluent New York City suburbs such as Greenwich and Westport. It's a rematch of a bruising fight that Shays survived by just 4 percentage points two years ago.

Now, this could well just be a spin piece to scare supporters away from the Republicans. I think there is a real risk, however. And despite the spin that the reporter puts on it - that people will be angry at Lieberman - I suspect there will be another target of that anger. I noted earlier that the finger pointing was already starting. This would be major ammunition in the coming internal battles among the Democrats.

All Wind, No Sail

The New York Observer has an article that describes the pre-mortems that are already happening in the Connecticut Senate race. Mainstream Democrats and the netroots are already pointing fingers at one another. Imagine how bad it will get if the Democrats fail to win either chamber?

Still, bloggers held Mr. Wolfson responsible for the campaign’s derailment. This month, the left-wing Huffington Post compiled its readers’ grievances about the fizzling campaign into a premature concession speech for Mr. Lamont.

“I turned my campaign over to hired guns who think that running to the middle is a winning strategy—even though it’s proven to be a loser time and time and time again,” the post read.

In a recent post for his popular left-wing political blog MyDD, Matt Stoller called Democratic leaders “moral lepers” for abandoning Mr. Lamont.

“What I have seen in this race is a complete abrogation of responsibility on the part of everybody except the netroots and Ned Lamont,” Mr. Stoller said in a telephone interview. “Trusting these people is a huge tactical error. Never trust anything that these insider Democrats tell you,” he said, adding, for good measure, “Bill Clinton is a liar.”

….

Some Democratic strategists argued that Mr. Lamont served as a field test of the theory that grassroots energy and blogger support were sufficient to win an election.

“They give you wind, but they don’t give you all the sail,” said Donna Brazile, who managed Al Gore’s 2000 Presidential campaign. “But it is the responsibility of any good candidate to put together a campaign team that is not just smart, but also understands how the political environment will shift, and that you have to shift with it.”

I Want This Job

That's it. I'm moving to Birmingham, England and applying for this job. Where else can you make 91,000 pounds (around $174,000 at today's exchange rate) for changing light bulbs? Furthermore, you don't actually have to be there, you can be out sick and get your overtime. Seriously.

LONDON (Reuters) - How much does it cost to change a light bulb? — "A lot" is the answer if you are a taxpayer in Birmingham. Over 90,000 pounds in fact.

A furious row has erupted over the news that a council street and traffic lights engineer received 91,000 pounds for 2005/2006 including overtime bonuses — even though he was off sick.

The average pay in Britain is about 23,000 pounds a year.

Birmingham City Council's Alan Rudge said he intended to stamp out the practice of workers getting bloated pay packets.

"This is a throwback to employment practice which is outdated and we cannot just stand still," he added in a statement.

Christine Melsom of the Is It Fair? campaign group, which wants to scrap the current council tax system, said she feared the problem might be endemic among local authorities.

"I really think this is probably just the tip of the iceberg," she told BBC radio. "How many more are there in other councils across the country?"

Yep, this is the job for me.

The Smart And The Stupid

Several smart Democratic candidates (or their smart campaign managers, same difference) have come out fast against John Kerry's remarks. This may be the only thing that limits the damage for them. It won't reverse it completely, I think, but it will stop the bleeding. Other Democrats are going the other way into stupid territory and still defending Kerry. They may start the bleeding all over again.

"Whatever the intent, Senator Kerry was wrong to say what he said," said Democratic Rep. Harold Ford, Jr., running for Senate in Tennessee.

"Sen. Kerry's remarks were poorly worded and just plain stupid," said Montana Senate President Jon Tester, a Democrat trying to unseat GOP Sen. Conrad Burns. "He owes our troops and their families an apology."

"I'm sorry he did what he did. But I think the issue … we want to make sure it doesn't confuse the subject of the war in Iraq," Democratic Rep. Ben Cardin, running for Senate in Maryland, said on CNN.

Cardin was weakest of these three. He should have done exactly what Ford and Tester did. Trying to triangulate this one is not a good idea. Now on to the ones who remain ClueProof™:

Kerry's office released a supportive statement from retired Lt. Gen. Claudia J. Kennedy, the first female three-star general in the Army and a supporter of his 2004 bid against Bush. "When it comes to Iraq, he's right to stand up against baseless attacks, and right to keep fighting for a better course for our troops and our country," she said.

Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, head of the Democratic campaign effort, called the White House attacks on Kerry an effort by Bush "to divert attention from his failed Iraq policy."

"Instead of going on television attacking John Kerry and everyone else under the sun, the president ought to be sitting at his desk coming up with a plan for Iraq," Schumer said.

The head of the Democratic party also downplayed Kerry's remarks. "Kerry made a blooper. Bloopers happen," Howard Dean told reporters in Burlington, Vt.

That last one may tear all the bandages off and rip out the stitches. Dean just made this story news for at least one more news cycle, probably more. Why in the world did the Dems pick this guy to run the party? He should have denounced it and walked away. That might have minimized further damage. But he didn't.

UPDATE: Leaning Straight Up just linked with this picture. I don't think they look too happy.

UPDATE: AllahPundit, who knows a thing or three about Photoshop says he thinks it is legit and has this full-size picture to prove it. Also, I take it back - the troops holding in, when seen close up, are VERY pleased with themselves.

UPDATE: Heh - Leftourettes syndrome.