Did you know

that if Hillary Clinton becomes president, she'll be the country's first female president? And Barack Obama would be the first black president?

Silly me, I wouldn't have made the connection, if not for the fact that EVERY SINGLE news article that barely mentions either of them feels a need to point it out. Because, you know, this is news.

Pity Post

Does this picture make you shed a tear for poor little Mr. Fob?

No?

What if I tell you that the procedure took four and a half hours of my life?

Still no?

And if I tell you the littler bandage is from a biopsy that will likely lead to another four-hour surgery with equally tragic-looking results?

Not a single tear?

Then get a chest x-ray, 'cause you just might be heartless.

Funny Headlines About Things That Aren't Funny

Man critical after being shot by Mill Creek police officer

Well, I'd be critical too, if it happened to me.

Nonfictional Novels

I've always been amused that just about every time I've seen a literary agent or editor give advice to aspiring authors, one of the things she or he says is, "Don't say on your query letter that you are submitting a 'fictional novel.' It's just a novel. All novels are fiction." It baffles me that this is such a widespread problem that agents and editors across the board feel the need to address it. I mean, seriously, are there people out there who really say 'fictional novel'?

I don't know, but apparently there are people whose definition of novel is broader than mine. The opening credits to the 1995 film The Basketball Diaries say, "Based on the novel by Jim Carroll." Um, novel? The Basketball Diaries is literally a collection of diary entries written by Carroll as a teenaged heroin addict. I don't think you can even call that an autobiographical novel.

Memo to the people of the future who will be adapting my blog into a major motion picture: Please do not put in the credits "Based on the novel by Mr. Fob."

Batgirl the Activist

From a 1974 (?) U.S. Department of Labor Wage & Hour Division public service message:

Guerrilla Usability

When I got to class today there was a printout of this picture sitting on my desk, with the words "Guerrilla Usability" printed across the top:


For the first fifteen minutes or so I kept glancing at it and bursting into fits of giggles.

Heath

I'm not qualified to write any kind of meaningful "Remembering Heath Ledger" post, but I will say that I was deeply moved by his performance as a heterosexually married gay man in Brokeback Mountain and have been excited for the past year or so to see him as the Joker in this summer's Dark Knight. Twenty-eight is too young to die, and two is too young to lose a father.