The new Aaron Burr

So you're smart, witty folk. I need you to help me. I was watching the news last night and when I heard about this, I busted out laughing, and LITERALLY, could not stop for five minutes. Time five minutes; it's a long time. [OK, maybe it was more like two minutes. NONETHELESS.] I could not stop laughing. It wasn't a chuckle, it wasn't like I guffawed and then changed the channel. I'm hoping that the Daily Show tonight will shed enough light on what it is, exactly, about this that I find so amusing, because I'm actually mildly horrified at my reaction. Still. Can't stop laughing every time I hear the story.

My favorite part of the all of this is that the press can't get an answer as to why the incident wasn't released the day it happened. Yeah. I can't imagine. I'm sure the folks in Cheney's camp weren't completely flipping out and trying to think of what they could possibly say about the fact that the Vice President of the United States shot a man in the head.

Anyway, I think part of what struck me about this was that this administration struggles right now, and adding this to the pile, is, obviously so, so bad for them, to the point of absurdity. But I think maybe it's also that he's just come across as such a hard-ass, that this huge statement of fallability is somehow humorous.

Does that sound right? Whatever. Let me know if you have a theory.

[ETA: The shooting victim has apparently had a heart attack due to one of the pellets migrating to his heart. So. Not really funny anymore. But the post stays b/c I still wonder at why it was so funny initially.]

We're gonna need to replenish the kick-assery

So in the last week we've lost Betty Friedan, Wendy Wasserstein and Coretta Scott King. Ouch, y'all.

Edited to add: go here for an interesting article on this at AlterNet.

Frakking A

OK, I have to confess something, and ... it's not pretty.

I watch Battlestar Galactica.

Right now, everyone who's ever watched that show: (wounded) "Hey!"

Everyone reading this who's never watched the show: Just crossed me off their list of cool friends. And don't think I don't know that you have those, and don't think I don't know that I was HIGH on said list.

But that's fine. Cross me off. Because I am not kidding you when I tell you that this show is seriously one of the best I've seen in at least the last five years. It's the second season of West Wing good, and I think we all know that season two was phenomenal.

So, now I have another show that I'm setting up on the DVR, and now I have more recaps to read on TWoP. [Speaking of TWoP: if you love TV and don't know about Television Without Pity, go here immediately.] Anyway, Mary McDonnell is in BG, and she has this preternatural glow and earthiness playing the president of all mankind that makes me oh so proud to have already been a fan of hers. And she has serious chemistry with Edward James Olmos. I know. But she does.

Anyway, I want you to go watch it. It's on the SciFi Channel, Fridays at 10pm. Go watch it and then tell me what you think. And I'll explain it to you, you'll watch it again, and you'll love it. Promise.