Gossip flows freely about members

I received a letter from my bank today, which says that they’re been underpaying interest in certain accounts and have credited my account with $0.21. They advise me to keep the letter for my records and regret any inconvenience or concern this may have caused me.

In California, Gov. Terminator vetoed a bill restoring journalists’ access to prisoners, and another bill allowing condom distribution in prisons. And journalists having safe sex with prisoners is right out. He also vetoed a bill to require the state’s delegates to the Electoral College to vote however the national popular vote for president went (a clever idea but quite unenforceable, because one of the problems with the Electoral College is that the electors can vote however they want). Bills he did sign into law included one allowing domestic partners to file joint tax returns and one requiring people subject to restraining orders to give up their firearms.

Evidently the brother of Segolene Royal, a candidate for the French presidency, was the one who planted the bombs on the Rainbow Warrior (killing one crew member).

I like Predatorgate. It’s a sex scandal with no actual sex. If there’s any semen on a blue Gap dress in this scandal, then Foley will have been wearing it while IMing.

Today we are in the attempted-misdirection phase of the scandal: Foley checked himself into rehab, and Hastert is demanding, in morally outraged tones, that the Justice Dept investigate who leaked the story, preferably by subpoenaing reporters, which is the surest known way to delay facts coming out. I can’t help but notice that Hastert said the instant messages “reportedly between Congressman Foley and a former page sent in 2003, are vile and repulsive to me” and also referred to “this vile instant message exchange” – statements which imply, no doubt unconsciously, that both sides of the exchange are equally vile.

Tony Insert-Snow-Related-Pun-Here, trying to make up for calling those messages “naughty emails,” today said “Gossip flows freely about members.”

By the way, if my comment about Al Capone in the last post wasn’t clear, what I meant is that it would have been better for the republic (if less entertaining) if Hastert fell because of his political positions.

Remember when it was Bush’s father who was considered not to speak well? He was described, I forget by whom, as the sort of man who calls a spade a shovel thing. Anyway, here are some pictures of Bush with a shovel thing, digging for Lincoln’s gold. And – who would have guessed – he does know which end is which.


If you think he’s a little over-dressed, you should see the tuxedo and top hat he wears to clear brush.


Reuters’ caption says Bush “gestures with a shovel as he speaks”. “And another thing, Laura. Laura?”