• Hot Off The Presses

    The Comedy Stylings of the White House Press Corps

    Fresh from their latest gig at the White House Press Briefing hosted by Scott McClellan, it’s the new comedy troupe “Not The Stenographers!” Actually, I saw them described as “stenos” on another website the other day in connection with the “Irish journalist asks Bush harrrrrd questions” story. From reading between the lines, and totally in my humble and uninformed opinion, it seems like some of the people asking tough questions know perfectly well that the answers won’t be all that newsworthy. Either that, or their editors will veto them rather than make the White House press secretary look like a…

  • Music

    Musical Bookends

    Something I often do, but haven’t mentioned before: I sing in the car. Yes, I’m one of those annoying people you see in traffic, sitting at a light that’s just turned green trying to hit the note AND remember the words AND get it in gear AND get their ass moving. That’s me. It’s how I gird up on my way to work, or de-gird on the way home. I often think that good songs at the beginning and end of my day act like bookends. I usually listen to WBEZ for news, but WXRT for music. In fact, you…

  • Uncategorical Weirdness

    Painters of Blight!

    I love this: BoingBoing reports that a Seattle art gallery will feature “tributes” of two well known contemporary “artists” – Thomas Kinkad and Jack T. Chick. BB is calling it the “Painters of Blight” show… As you probably know, Thomas Kinkade, the famous “Painter of Light,” has made millions of dollars with his customized prints of day-glo cottages against backdrops of enchanted forests. He has a team of “Kinkade-trained Master Highlighters” who go over reproductions of his work with oil paint. Yes! His work is mass-produced crap! He’s the Norman Rockwell of heartwarming, uplifting, mind-blinkered post- 9/11 Americana! He’s also…