One thing after another

A few things that don’t really require entries unto themselves, but are worth passing along to any Gentle Readers who require a moment’s pause...

• This list of who the Iraq Study Group hasn’t bothered to consult really is astonishing. I mean, yes, there are lots of fringy peace activists and dirty damned hippies who really ought to be consulted, but nobody expects Mssrs Baker and Hamilton to consult them. But surely an invitation should go out to Our Previous President and Our Last-But-One President, who know a little something about Iraq? The main point, however, is that, as Mike Boyer points out, “it doesn't appear that the commission has spoken with anyone whose views are not widely available in the op-ed pages of the New York Times and Washington Post.”
• The fun thing about Celebrity Jeopardy! is that not all of the Celebrities are Jeopardy! fans, and so are not altogether familiar with how the game works. Some of the Celebrities, on the other hand, are clearly Jeopardy! nerds just like YHB. And not always predictable which will be which. The depressing thing about Celebrity Jeopardy! is that Your Humble Blogger neither knows nor cares to know who these morons are or what they are famous for. Most of them, anyway. Harry Shearer kicked ass. Oh, I’m old sometimes.
• I miss the campaign ads. I mean, they were awful, yes, but the station is still running ads, and these are worse than those.
• For your information, the first Xmas carol heard by Your Humble Blogger this year was Jingle Bells, in a restaurant, the middle of the day of November 10. Clearly, I didn’t complain enough about hearing carols before Thanksgiving, and now they are showing up before Veteran’s Day. I’m not interested in warring on Xmas itself, but I think I’m ready to assault the Xmas season, at least before the fourth Thursday in November.
• Gentle Reader Benjamin Rosenbaum merits double-double congratulations. It is one thing to write well, and another to be recognized for doing so. Now, as Your Humble Blogger only knows Mr. Rosenbaum through the occasional comment back and forth, it’s not clear whether my ethical rule kicks in, that when writing Book Reports on books written by friends, quality is never discussed but only the likelihood of that friend making huge sums of money, and YHB getting some. It seems unlikely that, should Mr. Rosenbaum parlay success in the short-form irreal fantasy into fame, fortune and free samples, that it would fill YHB’s pockets with pelf. Still, nice to see that people like his stuff.
• I have no idea if there is artistic merit to be found, but I find 365 Days/365 Plays absolutely intriguing.

chazak, chazak, v’nitchazek,
-Vardibidian.