First, Ed McMahon. Now, Evander Holyfield!
Open Thread
Friday Thread
John has apparently been raptured, so for now it’s up to me to keep the blog going. However, I don’t have time for much more than a hit-and-run so I’ll toss out a bleg.
My 5-year-old nephew has a weird affinity for numbers. When he was 3 he got unnervingly good at memorizing where each Pittsburgh bus line goes. This Passover I helped him figure out that almost all of the Presidents on his American history placemat lasted either two four or eight years (my math not so good). He then pointed out on his own that when one President lasted an odd number of years, the the next guy filled in for a period that added up to four or eight. Then he demanded to know why Grover Cleveland showed up twice. He’s a bright kid.
It struck me that the best way to encourage my nephew would be some books or puzzles that take his interest in math and other practical puzzle solving to the next level. Google could probably get me partway there, but my past blegs (NYC restaurants, productivity programs for the Mac) have turned up some great and unexpected stuff so I’m opening the floor again.
Nixonland
Apparently the UPS truck dropped off my copy of Nixonland from Amazon while I was working out earlier, and since I discovered it on my doorstep I have been unable to put it down. I am only 50 pages in and I can already proclaim this is the best book I have read in years. I ordered it the other day when one of you quoted from it at length in the comments, and I sure am glad that I did.
At any rate, consider this an open thread. I am going to go sit on the porch and read.
Marriage Equality Recognized in NY
This is certainly good news:
Gay rights advocates had reason to celebrate on both coasts Thursday, with New York set to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere and California preparing to begin issuing marriage licenses to gay couples on June 17.
Hours after California issued a directive Wednesday authorizing that date, word came that New York Gov. David Paterson instructed state agencies — including those governing insurance and health care — to immediately change policies and regulations to recognize gay marriages.
I’m sure we’ll be subjected to outrage from the right. Why does this stuff always happen during election cycles? Oh, right, because we’re always in an election cycle.
Feel free to post silly right-wing overreactions to this in the comments.
Not As Bad As
I imagine that with the crumbling administration dragging McCain down like a lead weight, we will probably hear a lot of the “Not as bad as” defense in upcoming months. It might be worthwhile for folks to read this post by the Slacktivist on the NABA defense.
James Baker, Dovish Appeaser And Hater of All Things Military, Masculine, and ‘Murrican
Via Sullivan, this shocking display of appeasement:
Obama is cleaning their clocks on this issue, and McCain would do himself a real service to stop taking advice from small men and internet tough guys who think AM radio show hosts are deep-thinkers.
PS- It would be wise to remember Baker’s nickname.