McCain’s Sick Joke

A mixture of rage and glee — an odd brew to be sure — keeps me reading the reaction to John McCain’s egg-laying pick of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate — and keeps me from writing much about it. Rage because the pick is a gigantic insult to all Americans, especially women. Glee because I cannot see how Americans, despite our dismal track record in the last two Presidential elections, will fall for it.

In just the last five minutes, I’ve read these great reactions …

A terrific analogy by whirly:

I think the most telling event of this circus was the look on his face as he introduced her and how he played with his ring as she spoke. He looked nervous. It was like they just met,had, had a wild night in Vegas, and eloped. Now they were announcing the blessed event of their “nuptials” to their relatives-us, the American public. And of course we have reacted with the exact response that any family member would at seeing someone in their family make a stupid, impulsive decision.

Going from Bush to McCain would take us from a dry drunk to a gambling addict, points out BlueOnBlue:

John McCain is a gambler. He loves to throw dice, which gets the shooter lots of attention, but in the long run, is a sure loser of a bet. This selection of Palin shows McCain’s gambling obsessions don’t stop at the craps table.

Like most gambling addicts, he is willing to gamble recklessly because he loves the excitement that comes with risk. And, he is apparently willing to risk his country first.

After eight years of the dry drunk, George Bush, we don’t need another addict in the White House.

Please God, no.

Chummy With a Saint

I talked about syllable minimization a couple posts back. Sometimes one can go too far with that.

Shadow Traffic’s John Butterworth, on his morning reports on WHYY-FM, often refers to the St. Davids curve on the Schuylkill Expressway as “St. Dave’s Curve”. Really now, John, “St. Dave’s” — are you really that chummy with this particular saint?

Wikipedia’s article on St. Davids, Pennsylvania says this about the origin of the community’s name:

The community, on the Pennsylvania Main Line, was named for St. Davids Church, an 18th century church in the area that was in turn named for St. David, the patron saint of Wales (the country of origin of many of the area’s first European settlers).

Back in the sixth century, during which St. David lived most or all of us life, was Dave used as a nickname for David? The jury is out:

The oldest, most popular and most commonly-used diminutive form of “David” worldwide is “Dave”, which first appeared in written form in the sixteenth century (but is probably much older).

Hypothetical, Terribly Trivial Proposition

Woody Allen did marvelous standup comedy during the years 1964-1968. That work first appeared on three LPs and those LPs were later combined into a great double LP set, which I bought at the old W.T. Grant discount store. I’d think about writing a separate post about the Wood Man’s standup because of the many hours of enjoyment it has given me. but it seems Will Dixon has already written it for me.

One of the my favorite routines comes at the very end of the album:

In summing up, I wish I had some kind of affirmative message to leave you with. I don’t. Would you take two negative messages?

My mother used to say to me when I was younger, “If a strange man comes up to you, and offers you candy, and wants you to get into the back of his car with him … go”.

I’ve used that last line on my sons when I’ve been in especially irreverent moods.

But this post, despite all evidence to the contrary, isn’t about Woody Allen.

What if in say 1975, that same strange man were to have come up to you and offered you a betting proposition — instead of candy and a ride. Say he wanted, for stakes of your choosing, the side of a bet that predicted in your lifetime the most commonly read and written/typed four-letter sequence would be “http“.

If you were a gambler, what might you have bet against that happening? Unless you had amazing predictive powers, you might have bet practically anything, huh? And you would have lost. You might have been better off taking the candy and the ride.

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Hundreds or Thousands of Years?

Here’s one to lose sleep over.

Several evenings ago, Mrs. QC and I were engaged in a discussion with son #3 about the continuation of his religious education. At one point Mrs. QC referred to the year 2010 as “two thousand ten”. I couldn’t stop myself from interrupting a serious discussion to venture an opinion on a trivial matter, whether people will say “two thousand ten” or “twenty ten”. I say “twenty ten” because the lessor number of syllables almost always wins.

Taking a look back, when the odometer turned over to 2000, it made perfect sense that people would say “two thousand”. I mean how often do you get to flip that thousands digit? The novelty alone ensured the use of “two thousand” — not to mention “twenty hundred” is one syllable longer.

In the years that followed, “two thousand something” ruled, even thought “twenty oh something” is the same number of syllables. There’s no doubt next year will be “two thousand nine”, not “twenty oh nine”.

Can I Get Some Delaware Pride Goin’ Here?

Given my Delaware ties, I’m just darn near thrilled about Barack Obama’s choice of Delaware senator Joe Biden as his running mate.

What Delaware ties you ask? Well …

• I lived in Delaware from 1957 to 1988 except for college in the mid ’70s and three years as a swingin’ single in the mid ’80s. During those absences, I lived, as I do now, in nearby Chester County, Pennsylvania.
• My wedding was in Delaware and Mrs. QC is a native Delawarean with even deeper ties to the state than I.
• I have a master’s degree from the University of Delaware and I have been a big fan of that school’s football program for most of my life, having attended upwards of 50 games.
• Sussex, the only one of the three Delaware counties in which I’ve not lived, has been the site of several family vacations, with its wonderful beach towns — Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, and Fenwick Island.

Paradoxically, I wouldn’t want to move back to Delaware — at least not to the most-populated county, New Castle, which is where I grew up. It just doesn’t hold much appeal for reasons I’ll not go into here.

Posts About Nothing

You know the Seinfeld episode — it’s “The Pitch” — in which Jerry and George pitch their sitcom idea to NBC network executives? George majorly screws it up:

2:35 in this video
RUSSELL: So, what have you two come up with?
JERRY: Well, we’ve thought about this in a variety of ways. But the basic idea is I will play myself-
GEORGE: (Interrupting) May I?
JERRY: Go ahead.
GEORGE: I think I can sum up the show for you with one word: NOTHING.
RUSSELL: Nothing?
GEORGE: (Smiling) Nothing.
RUSSELL: (Unimpressed) What does that mean?
GEORGE: The show is about nothing.
JERRY: (To George) Well, it’s not about nothing.
GEORGE: (To Jerry) No, it’s about nothing.
JERRY: Well, maybe in philosophy. But, even nothing is something.

…

3:24
JERRY: ..Well, as I was saying, I would play myself, and, as a comedian, living in New York, I have a friend, a neighbor, and an ex-girlfriend, which is all true.
GEORGE: Yeah, but nothing happens on the show. You see, it’s just like life. You know, you eat, you go shopping, you read.. You eat, you read, You go shopping.
RUSSELL: You read? You read on the show?
JERRY: Well, I don’t know about the reading.. We didn’t discuss the reading.
RUSSELL: All right, tell me, tell me about the stories. What kind of stories?
GEORGE: Oh, no. No stories.
RUSSELL: No stories? So, what is it?
GEORGE: (Showing an example) What’d you do today?
RUSSELL: I got up and came to work.
GEORGE: There’s a show. That’s a show.
RUSSELL: (Confused) How is that a show?
JERRY: Well, uh, maybe something happens on the way to work.
GEORGE: No, no, no. Nothing happens.
JERRY: Well, something happens.
RUSSELL: Well, why am I watching it?
GEORGE: Because it’s on TV.
RUSSELL: (Threatening) Not yet.
GEORGE: Okay, uh, look, if you want to just keep on doing the same old thing, then maybe this idea is not for you. I, for one, am not going to compromise my artistic integrity. And I’ll tell you
something else, this is the show and we’re not going to change it. (To Jerry) Right?
(A moment passes)
JERRY: (To Russell) How about this: I manage a circus..

Make It Stop, MAKE IT STOP!

Oh. My. G_d. This will teach me not to follow any of the links — like this one — that my blog host automatically puts above my posts based on my tags.

OK, work this metaphor with me: a blog post as a performance of a piece for solo piano. I direct you now to this performance by thatsrightnate of That’s Right Nate — a piece about HBO’s Recount movie about the 2000 Presidential election and then Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris — in which every note is a clunker:

The only redeeming feature for [Recount] was the ending where the viewer got to relive that triumphant moment at the end when Bush won the election.

…

… our vote is a very important thing that we can’t take for granted. … we all need to join states like Indiana in insisting that all voters have a state issued Identification card.

…

… the Vixen of Voting, the Siren of State Katherine Harris. When I do compile my list of hot Republican women she may not be in the top 10, but she’s definitely in the top 20.

Make it stop! I picture myself trying to pull the keyboard cover over thatsrightnate’s fingers as he plays.

Does Winnie Cooper Drive a MINI Cooper?

updated September 4, 2008, at 8:26pm with picture

This evening I went with most of the family to actress Danica McKellar’s book signing at the local Barnes & Noble store. McKellar was there to promote her new book, Kiss My Math. It’s the sequel to the highly successful Math Doesn’t Suck.

From left: Danica McKellar, QC, son #2, son #3, Mrs. QC. Click image to view at full-size.

McKellar, 33, is best known for her roles as Winnie Cooper on one of my all-time favorite TV shows, The Wonder Years, and Elsie Snuffin on The West Wing. I’ve not seen her work in the latter.

Upon arriving at B&N, we bought the new book for McKellar to autograph when our turn came up. The store gave out numbered cards to keep the line orderly; we were #41.

We had our picture taken with her, but it was with a film camera (remember those?), so I don’t have it yet. Once I get it, I’ll augment this post with the picture (assuming it comes out OK). In the meantime, here is a picture of the cover of the book.

Before she started signing books, McKellar made a short speech and took a couple handfuls of questions from the audience. I estimate the audience numbered about 120.

All Election Tradition — Broken

I was thinking recently about a peculiar part of the television coverage of Election Night 2000 and decided to try to find video of it. Here it is. I apologize for the poor quality, but it’s all I could find.

Was this just a bad dream? Unfortunately, no. Toby Rogers on Sanderhicks.com [emphasis mine]:

One [sic] election night 2000 … he [sic] Bush family … had quickly moved from the Four Season Hotel in Austin to the Governor mansion when the networks called Florida for Al Gore. In an unprecedented move the Bush family broke all election tradition and allowed TV crews to film them back at the Governor’s Mansion. Shadows, floodlights and flashbulbs danced around the Bush family as W was ending a ridiculously staged phone call with Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge. “Yeah..good. Call me when you hear something? Thanks.”

I was nauseated, figuratively speaking, when I saw this live. As I view it on video today, it’s a chilling moment in American history. How creepy … with Poppy and Barbara sitting there.

Finally! 2001 Anthrax Attacks are Back in the News

My About blurb says I am interested in blogging about the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. I’ve started several draft posts about the attacks and their aftermath, but I haven’t finished any of them. I’m finding it hard to articulate my thoughts about those attacks, especially when considered in light of all that has happened since then.

Well, my reservations have just been overtaken by events: The anthrax attacks that occurred in the weeks following 9/11, long neglected by the media, are finally back in the news. In my mind the anthrax attacks must be factored into in any discussion of the effects of the 9/11 attacks.

New York Times:

The seven-year investigation into the anthrax attacks that traumatized and baffled the nation just weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks has taken a stunning new turn with the apparent suicide of a scientist who was the prime suspect in the case.

With investigators close to filing charges against him, the scientist — Bruce E. Ivins, 62 — apparently took his own life with a prescription painkiller, Tylenol mixed with codeine. He died [July 29] at a hospital in Frederick, Md., about an hour’s drive north of Washington.

Mr. Ivins, who was a biodefense researcher at Fort Detrick, had been told of the investigation into the anthrax incidents, said his lawyer, Paul F. Kemp, who issued a statement insisting that his client was innocent.