Month: November 2009

Yes. Let’s genetically engineer smarter rats.

What could possibly go wrong?

The bumper sticker reads “My rat is smarter than YOU.” Transgenically-enhanced Hobbie-J –- named after a clever rat in a Chinese cartoon book – may not be smarter than you, but she appears to be smarter than the smartest known breeds of rat.

According to Science Daily, Hobbie-J was able to remember novel objects, such as a toy she played with, three times longer than the average Long Evans female rat, the smartest rat strain. Hobbie-J was also better at remembering which path she last traveled to find a chocolate treat.

Glenn Reynolds to the contrary, we’re not going to get Mrs. Frisby & the Rats of Nimh out of this. We’re going to get this, instead: mark my words.

CA-10: the last of the four.

Everybody wants to talk about the VA/NJ races, or NY-23, which makes sense: they’re gripping.  But all the way over in CA-10 is a race between Republican David Harmer and Democrat Lt Gov. John Garamendi; one that Garamendi seems determined to win pretty much in spite of himself. It’s a hard district for a Republican to win, being D+11; but Harmer isn’t running as anything except a Republican.  If he goes down, he goes down swinging.

If you have the time, his campaign wouldn’t mind you giving some of it tomorrow.  If you can vote in CA-10, go ye hence and vote in CA-10.  Bring as many of your friends as you can along, too.

Moe Lane

Crossposted to RedState.

Jason Shih, Jon Corzine, Ecstasy, and Middlesex County Democratic Committee paychecks.

Via Libertarian Republican, who also has a mug shot) Remember: the Corzine campaign has no idea who this Jason Shih is. The quote is “…the campaign doesn’t know who he is.” So he has no connection at all with the campaign, right?

No connection whatsoever.

Shih also reportedly had 10 paychecks from the Middlesex County Democratic Committee in his possession. One paycheck for $1,500 was payable to Shih from the MCDC, according to reports.

“Mr. Shih stated the vehicle he was operating was rented for him by the ‘Corzine for Governor’ camp to distribute tickets and paychecks for the Middlesex County Democratic Committee,” stated Cece.

[snip]

Calls to Corzine’s campaign office and MCDC were not returned as of press time.

No. Really. Do tell.

Moe Lane

Crossposted to RedState.

Why you’re going to see The Expendables.

First off, here’s the trailer (via PopWatch Brett, from comments):

Anyway, why you’re going to see it:

Sylvester Stallone – Rocky
Jason Statham – Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels
Jet Li – The One
Dolph Lundgren – Rocky IV
Mickey Rourke – Sin City
Bruce Willis – Die Hard
Arnold Schwarzenegger – Last Action Hero
Danny Trejo – Con Air
Charisma Carpenter – Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Gary Daniels – Fist of the North Star*

It’s also got former pro wrestlers Randy Couture and Steve Austin in it, which is pretty much required for a project of this ilk.  ‘Ilk’ is the proper term: Stallone (who is also directing the film) clearly intends to drag you back, kicking and screaming, all the way to the early Eighties; all the while lovingly hitting every single action movie cliche along the way.  We’re talking formula, explosive-y, and LOUD.  “Artistic merit?”  Hah!  This is going to be a Things Go BOOM flick.

I am so there when it comes out, in other words.

Moe Lane

*They’re not all good.

DOOMWatch: Siena has Hoffman at +5.

Via Jake Tapper’s twitter comes the report that Siena’s latest poll shows that the NY-23 race has gone from 36/35 Owens to 41/36 Hoffman over the weekend, with 18% still undecided.  Those undecided are going to have to break heavily for Owens to let him win this one – and he’s got a day to make the sale.  Given that Owen’s ceiling has been the mid-thirties for this poll, that will be quite the trick for him to pull off…

Moe Lane

PS: Just because it’s DOOMWatch doesn’t mean that you stop.  Get thee hence to NY-23, if you can.

Rasmussen: 54/42 against Pelosi’s health care rationing bill.

Give House Democrats credit: their latest version of the health care rationing bill actually moved the numbers a little.  Just not in the way that they hoped.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced the House version of health care reform legislation last week, but most voters are still opposed to the effort.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 42% now favor the health care plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats. That’s down from 45% a week ago but unchanged from two weeks ago.

Much obliged; the drop in support from the last time the Democrats unveiled a version of health care rationing was starting to abate, so having this handy reminder of who’s running Congress these days – and the implications – is really, really handy.  Some people might quibble that if Democrats wanted to be really helpful they’d have scheduled their latest announcement last Saturday, but I’m not greedy.  This will do nicely for tomorrow’s races.

Moe Lane

Crossposted to RedState.