Tuesday, August 31

Tuesday's baseball recap:
Red Sox 10, Angels 7
Indians 22, Yankees 0
zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero

Say it ain't so: This explainer dashed any presumptions I might have had about Laura Bush. "Laura Bush, as prim as she seems, has always been something of a pinup girl for the left. We can't help it: We fantasize about her. Where conservatives see a demure Texan homemaker, we're sure she's a closet liberal, sensible and smart...Shared interests seem to offer proof of some ultimate compatibility. (A librarian who loves reading! Doesn't she see? We love reading, too!)...[T]he truth becomes increasingly clear: Our fantasies are just that -- fantasy. Laura isn't the woman we thought she was. We've got to stop seeing her like this." Goodbye, Laura. I've moved on ... to Teresa.

Jon Stewart gains popularity, but is he losing his edge?

And while we're going with the newsy-political theme today, here's a story about the snarling wombat I went to see with Brian a few months ago. I left after 10 minutes. (Reg. req'd)

Monday, August 30

I've read about this in many different places, but now that it's in the Washington Post, it must be true -- the lonely and the unattached get together for cuddle parties. Participants may get to first base with other cuddlers, but no farther. Quote from the organizer (with snark supplied by the Post): " 'Why did we stop touching each other?' he asks with the earnestness of a pageant contestant who has just discovered world hunger." (Reg. req'd)

Breaking from the latest Farmers' Almanac: "a wild winter with heavy precipitation and dramatic temperature swings [expected] in the Northeast."

The Red Sox are a mere 4.5 games behind the Yankees, and are number one in the wild card standings.

Okay, fool us once, shame on us, but twice? This crappy toy manufacturer released in bags of candy plastic toys that looked suspiciously like a plane crashing into two towers. This could have been an unfortunate coincidence, but the toy was stamped "9011." But now the same manufacturer also owns this toy. Yeah, just a big, fat oopsie.

Look at what this guy did to his mother-in-law's wheelchair. I wonder if he's fond of his mother-in-law.

Sunday, August 29

The New York Times lead Sunday editorial proposes getting rid of the electoral college. "It's a ridiculous setup, which thwarts the will of the majority, distorts presidential campaigning and has the potential to produce a true constitutional crisis. There should be a bipartisan movement for direct election of the president."
Um, we're just getting around to figuring this out? (Reg. req'd)

Some woman hangs out in Harvard Square, dressed like a statue, and randomly bursts into opera when someone gives her money. Business card could potentially read, Opera Whore.

Heh to the headline, "Sidewalk smackdown." But what they don't mention are the people who read and walk. Like, books or newspapers, as they walk. I HATE those people. (Reg. req'd)

I saw this on one of the Gawker sites: Paul Pfeiffer, Esq.

In literary news, Dave Eggers has another book coming out. Now, you can think he is totally overhyped (case in point -- super-special early limited release of You Shall Know Our Velocity), or worthy of all the attention (wrote A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius; started McSweeney's). I think he's overhyped, but I'll still probably get the book.

Comcast to market new video recorder. I'm sure they got wind of the Brivo, and thought they should capture the New England market as soon as possible.

From the National Scrabble Championships: You Don't Have To Know English To Play Scrabble. Can you believe this? I feel stupid enough having to settle with words like "bat" when I'm desperate, but these championship-level players don't speak English. Arrugh.

Nancy Malone
Walking a Literary Labyrinth
Review: Completely stalled on this one. Really can't get into it yet. It was written by a nun (I knew this) from Bridgeport (i.e. my hometown -- didn't know this), but it's a little heavy on the nun-stuff so far. It's a library book, so there is a deadline.
Update 9/4: It's going back to the library. It was 95 percent nun-stuff, 5 percent appreciation of books. I was so mad.