For all of those of you who are sort of wistfully wondering in the salad days of the Obama transition team, “dude, where’s my change?” here you go! Via the WaPo and Jezebel:
Jon "No Relation" Favreau Exemplifying Change
When Sam Cooke intoned “Change is Going to Come,” do you think that this is what was meant? Regardless, change is certainly here. Jon Favreau (no relation to Jon “Iron Man” Favreau) is intelligent, young, perhaps a speech writer you’d like to chastely discuss the finer points of prose with? Certainly a change for this country. This is the kind of dull, not so scandalous, Facebookery that will come with the new administration of digicam wielding millennials.
Speaking of which, I have a digital camera, a blog that I may come to regret at some medical school interview and a penchant for cardboard cutouts, where is my job, please? I’ll take Secretary of Fierrrrrrce! Or HHS.
I’m here at Columbia’s historic Morningside campus observing the leadup to the possibly historical discussion between presidential hopefuls and senators (question: who’s watching the senate if everyone’s gone?) Barack Hussein Obama and John Sidney McCain III. Oh, and Bollinger will be there too. There’s a jumbotron set up for all of us peons who didn’t get in by lottery or birth rite. Currently blank, but the masses have begun to assemble and stare at the looming, blank screen. Sooooo many people have gathered, like, an appropriate number for a protest, if Columbia protested. I guess this is more of a power-elite flash mob. Anyways, a few blocks and shut down, many campus entrances, and both GED and ESL testing services have been canceled (you need a Columbia ID to get even close to the wrought-iron fence). So many metaphors for Americana here.
But, I’m hopeful that something magical will happen. I’m hoping that, since this is not meant to be a debate, that reason may co-exist with rhetoric. Especially today, when, collectively there is much to think about and discuss.
The IT Crowd tackles Lady Problems. Not Sara Palin, but maybe they’ll have an episode about that in the new season. Start at about 3:40 and go to about 5:20 to get the best of “that time of the month” euphemisms that British TV has to offer. Watch the whole episode if you’ve got the time. There’s still a fabulous dance party yet to come!
I always, always think that lady politicians and first lady de facto politicians always get too much flak for their fashion. Michelle Obama’s fabulous, but arm-bearing sheaths (gasp! the lady has arms!). Hillary Rodham-Clinton’s primary color pantsuits (and the woman got it SO much worse when she was in the white house…only the cast of Friends, Farah Fawcett, and Bo Derek got so much hair talk!). Barbara Bush’s gumball pearls and Queen Mother styling. Christine Todd Whitman’s failure to find that perfect balance between the feminine and the political (spoiler alert: there is balance, ladies. they happen to be mutually exclusive in the US of A. it’s a game you can’t win.).
But this. Is. Amazing. Attention must be payed.
...Miss America! Photo from Jezebel
So, you can have it all. I feel a Grand Old Party/National Riffle Association collaboration calendar coming on here! Jindal, put on the Old Glory Speedo in service of your country. And maybe you could be fixing our broken borders, which might require some sort of tool belt?
Can I just say that Alaska, the Second Amendment, and Family Planning are having the Best Week Ever?
As you probably know, protest has been highly curtailed in this country in general, but in particular, at both Democratic and Republican National Conventions and pre-election debates. I remember Boston in 2004, the small “demonstration zone” under a viaduct, surrounded by high wires. Democracy, indeed. But, I think that this takes the grand prize for absurdity:
Amy Goodman, award-winning journalist and creator of Democracy Now! who is cooler than you, me, and everyone we know, was arrested. For reporting. As a reporter. Apparently a press pass doesn’t mean so much to the RNC (Minneapolis/St. Paul) police and (Contracted) security. Nor do invocations of the first amendment. You know, assembly, press, etc. Pocket constitutions for everyone! The absolutely ridiculous footage after the jump. (more…)
So Jezebel blogged a WSJ story on dress codes that go beyond the realm of “black tie” and “biz. cas. fri.,” to include “beach festive” and “safari chic.” My favorites are actually “resort dressy” and “creative black tie”. All this, and Coolio, after the jump. (more…)
So, there was this one time when I was at work about two years ago and I stumbled upon the fact that the Federal Reserve Bank made comic books. Right. I was shocked. But, I love comic books and I love the Fed (Greenspan > Bernanke, obvi), so I order, like 10 of all of them ’cause they’re free. Still have copies, if you all are interested. Wishes and Rainbows and Once Upon a Dime are my favorites. Maybe that can be our first blog give-away!
Anyways, apparently when you order like 50 copies of Fed Comix, they think that you’re some kind of teacher who uses them to like educate, um, kids, or the elderly, or something. Not just some nerd who likes ephemera. So, they send you a survey. And it looks something like this:
Shredded Wheat, I get. This, not so much.
So, yeah. I’ll let you all know when I get a bag of shredded currency from the Fed (?!). Or a gym bag.
So, my mom is an amazing writer. She submits stuff, wins prizes, but has never pursued it full-time, because of money, raising moi, etc. I wanted to share with you all something that she wrote for a traveling exhibit at the Democratic National Convention in our homecity of Denver in about, oh two minutes. I love it. I reminds me of one of my favorite poets, Nobel laureate Derek Walcott in his piece A Far Cry from Africa when he writes: (more…)
thinkofthechildren
ferrrosha
enjoyterror
susanmatthewsloomis
missingwhitewomanohmy
sisterkungfuhustler