Last November, I wrote about a woman who was stopped by state police because she was driving in the HOV lane (High Occupancy Vehicle Lane) — the "carpool" lane limited to automobiles carrying 3 or more people. The woman said that she was not breaking the law, and that three people were in the car: herself, her son in the … Read More
iClothes
Okay, this iPod craze is getting a little out of hand.
University Won’t Let Divorcees Teach
Only in Iran. It seems that a university in an Iranian provence is establishing a policy in which teachers who divorce their spouses will get fired. This shows how blind devotion to fundamentalist tenets can lead to absurd and offensive results. Ooops? Did I say Iran? I meant Oklahoma: EDMOND, Okla. — An Oklahoma university has proposed a policy that … Read More
Defective Non-Fiction
This is rather unheard of. Random House is offering a refund to people who purchased one of the books it published — a book entitled A Million Little Pieces by James Frey. Frey’s book, a non-fiction drug-and-alcohol memoir, was on Oprah’s Book-of-the-Month list last September. It was also, as it turns out, much exaggerated. Read more.
Pat Robertson And Ariel Sharon
The Associated Press reports: Israel won’t do business with Pat Robertson after the U.S. Christian Evangelist said Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s massive stroke was divine punishment for Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, an official said Wednesday, placing a USD 50 million deal with the Christian leader in doubt. Robertson, a Christian broadcaster, is leading a group of evangelicals who … Read More
The Latest in The Intelligent Design Wars
The pig just got a new coat of lipstick. Having suffered a legal and political setback in Dover, Pa., the intelligent design battle shifts to Calilfornia. It appears that the The El Tejon Unified School District has approved a new class: An initial course description, which was distributed to students and their families last month, said "the class will take … Read More
Carter And The Killer Rabbit
I knew the story about President Jimmy Carter’s encounter with a crazed and deranged "swamp rabbit", a story that was fodder for late night talk show hosts of the day. I just didn’t know there were pictures of it.
“Phantom” Passes “Cats”
Bloated drama’s 7,486th performance breaks record held by mindless feline flotsam
“Truthiness” Is The Word Of The Year
From CNN: ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (AP) — A panel of linguists has decided the word that best reflects 2005 is "truthiness," defined as the quality of stating concepts one wishes or believes to be true, rather than the facts. The American Dialect Society chose the word Friday after a runoff with terms related to Hurricane Katrina, such as "Katrinagate," the … Read More
From The Memory Hole
Flashback to 1973. Senate Council Sam Dash asks John Ehrlichman if he believes the break-in of Ellsburg’s psychiatrist’s office to be legal. Ehrlichman responds that, legally and constitutionally, the President can have such a thing done if he does so in the interests of national security. Watch the video, courtesy of Crooks & Liars. We know better now, right?
God Hates “You’ll Never Find (Another Love Like Mine)”
That’s why He took Lou Rawls today.
John Cage Composition To End In 2639
Composer John Cage, who died in 1992, is perhaps best known for his musical piece 4’33": It consists of the pianist going to the piano, and not hitting any keys for four minutes and thirty-three seconds. (He uses a stopwatch to time this.) In other words, the entire piece consists of silences — silences of different lengths, they say. (Click … Read More
So…
I hear there was a football game or something last night? Was it any good?
Lead Paragraphs We Love
From CNN: OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma (AP) — A pastor who has spoken out against homosexuality was arrested after propositioning a male undercover police officer outside a hotel, authorities said. UPDATE: Big Brass Blog has more. Apparently, the pastor offered up oral sex, but told reporters later that he was "pastoring to the police". Oh, is that what they call it … Read More
You Knew This Was Coming…
Pat Robertson says that God is punishing Ariel Sharon: The Rev. Pat Robertson said Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is being punished by God for dividing the Land of Israel. Robertson, speaking on the “700 Club” on Thursday, suggested Sharon, who is currently in an induced coma, and former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, assassinated by an Israeli extremist in … Read More