Not Much

http://www.esquire.com/features/what-ive-learned/sarah-palin-interview-0309

I finished the March Esquire today, and the What I've Learned Section is Sarah Palin. At first I thought it was a joke, and then I remembered Keith Olbermann joking about her admission that one of the reasons she named her daughter Bristol was because she had dreams of working for ESPN, and it turns out it was Sarah herownself, the Moose Killa MILF From Wasilla, and What She's Learned.

Not much, it turns out.

So I read the thing, and she's still deranged. Here's the part that gets me:

"You have to let it go. Even hard news sources, credible news sources — the comment about, you can see Russia from Alaska. You can! You can see Russia from Alaska. Something like that — a factual statement that was taken out of context and mocked — what you have to do is let that go."

Yes, Hot Mama. We know that it was a true statement. The reason why everybody went bananas when you said that is not that it wasn't true, it was that YOU SAID IT AS IF THAT FACT MADE YOU QUALIFIED TO BE VICE PRESIDENT.

A good, hearty chuckle

I got a letter from my college today telling me that it had been 15 years since we graduated, and there were a number of options for where our "class gift" could be spent.

I nearly spit out my Diet Sierra Mist.

I hated my college. I graduated not because I was smart, but because I was stubborn. I can think of several thousand more worthy things to do with money than to give it to my college, including set it on fire, bury it in the woods, or grind it up and use it as mulch.

In summary, they can keep on waiting for my portion of the Class Gift to arrive.

***

A bon mot from Jeffrey Goldberg of the Atlantic Monthly: "In any case, trying to bring a racist to civilization is like trying to teach a dog to sing Verdi."

Quickly, now....

...for the next couple of minutes, in my time zone, anyway, it is February 12, the 200th anniversary of the birth of two of the greats, Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin. One saved man from literal bondage, and one saved man from the mental bondage of ignorance.

Freedom FTW!

Much as I hate to perpetuate memes...

...this has me giggling like a schoolboy.

Check out failblog.org

The Octopus

In keeping with the Blogger Code of Commenting on Things You Know Nothing About, I feel like I have let too many days go by without commenting about Nadya Suleman, the woman who Rachel Maddow charmingly calls "the woman with the octopus".

One can argue medical ethics, or personal choice, or single parents, or...I don't know.

My overwhelming conclusion is that it really isn't any of my business, or your business, or anyone's business. It's one of these perfect storm American news stories that lets everyone feel oh so holier than thou about themselves.

It just kind of makes me nauseous. It's none of our business, and we should stop.

Perhaps the height of irony.

http://www.masalatime.com/img/83285.jpg


A cake with the word "Fail" written on it.

Misspelled.

The White Tiger!

I finished Amiga's "The White Tiger" yesterday-it was very good.

I'm planning to tackle Bolano's "The Savage Detectives" (again) next. I tried it once and it kind of stalled on me.

Wish me luck.

Unintentional Comedy Alert!

Along with the above story, talking about the pressures on modern teen girls, the Today Show also decided they needed to cover the Sports Illustrated cover model for the swimsuit issue.

Twitternovels!

Peter Segal, of NPR's "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me", has started a meme on Twitter, everyone's favorite microblogging service, called the twitternovel. Summarize a novel in less than 140 characters.

For example:

(from @claire8177) A Telltale Heart: Really? You heard screaming? Huh. Thump. Thump. Thump! THUMP. THUMP! Ok, he's under the floorboards

(from @tonamel) 1984: I hate my job. I hate my friends. I hate the government....I love EVERYTHING. x_x

(from @terrysimpson) The Sun Also Rises: Lost generations seek comfort in booze and bulls. War doesn't mix with genitals

Cool!

Submitted...

...an essay to The Baseball Chronicle, a new online baseball magazine today. No money involved, but to be published is to be published. Sorta.

Pointless self gratification FTW!

Finished!

"Explosion!"- A surprisingly good account of Mickey Mantle's home runs.

Now reading..

Arvind Amiga's "White Tiger"-2008 Booker Prize Winner about a chaffeur turned murderer. Intriguing so far-very tart and funny.

Less Shouting?

http://www.newsweek.com/id/182531

In his "My Turn" essay, evangelical Richard Mouw, in a plea for tolerance, says, "I voted for the ban. As an evangelical, I subscribe to the 'traditional' definition of a marriage, and I do not want to see the definition changed. Does that mean I want to impose my personal convictions on the broader population? No. I celebrate the fact that we live in a pluralistic society, with many different worldviews and lifestyles. I support the democratic process and believe that civil society is at its best when people with different perspectives engage in a mutually respectful dialogue."


No one is asking you to change your definition of marriage. Your church can marry whomever it pleases. An atheist can't be married in my church. The rest of us are just asking that you keep your views on marriage to yourself.

You celebrate pluralism, I guess as long as that pluralism doesn't make you feel icky.

This is what I cannot understand about gay marriage opponents-what is it about anyone's marriage, including mine, that has any impact on you at all? Ever?