Date

A touching encounter

barbara — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 11:35:04 -0500

photo via HuffingtonPost

barbara writes

Well, as you all must know by now, Michelle Obama is at the heart of a media storm. That warm, friendly, hugging woman has really gone and done it this time, by touching Queen Elizabeth. I am so not kidding. There are photos and media clips (see above and here and here) to confirm the touch.

The way the story goes, shortly after meeting for the first time, the Queen placed her hand on the small of Michelle Obama’s back. Michelle Obama reciprocated, wrapping her long, covered arm around the queen’s shoulders. By various estimates, the exchange of touchings played out over less than 10 seconds.

Some folks are in high dudgeon about this appalling breach of protocol on Michelle’s part. Others are simply gobsmacked that the Queen, who never touches anyone (which might explain a great deal about Prince Charles), made what seemed to be a spontaneous gesture of affection. Spontaneity in and of itself is simply not the done thing amongst the royals, with the possible exception of Prince Harry, whose spontaneity trends toward the randy. Read on.

MN hostage to eNORMous ego

susan — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 15:10:56 -0500

Okay, I'm out of patience. I'm tired of hearing that we do not yet have a second senator because Minnesotans are either dysfunctional whack jobs (snicker snicker, remember Jesse Ventura??) or politely repressed Lutherans. (Could we put this whole Lutheran thing to rest? I mean, that's so yesteryear, like referring to New Yorkers as stolid Dutch. And if we have to be lumped as one with the settlers of origin, why not refer to us as laconic Lakotans or something?)

By all counts, Al Franken has won this race, again. And Norm Coleman has lost his appeal -- again. In every sense of the word.
Read more.

How the numbers stack up and other post-Easter half-baked thoughts.

susan — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 03:17:40 -0500

Here’s how Easter went for me.

I jolted awake early this morning with the numbers 7777 racing before my eyes like a ticker tape. This seemed like a good string of numbers under any circumstances, but on Easter Sunday, the day of renewal, it had to be even better.

I do not ever jolt awake early. I go to bed very late because sleep doesn’t come easily to me. The only way I can coax myself to bed at night is to think of that first cup of coffee in the morning. I do not practice good sleep hygiene. On most Sundays I manage to slouch downstairs barely in time for the 9 a.m. TV yak shows.

But this morning those four bold 7s popped me out of bed and upright in an eye-blink. Nothing to do but go downstairs and start the day, this glorious sun-filled bud-swelling new day. By the time the yak shows started at 9 I’d already read two Sunday newspapers, and started a little numerological research on Google. You won't believe this!

Texas flu, Rick Perry strain

susan — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:10:26 -0500

Texas flu mingling with Alaska flu

I love pigs. The four legged cloven-hoofed kind, the Wilbur "Some Pig" kind, even the bacon kind. There is something so pleased-with- life-just-as-it-is about them --the boar with his low-rider balls swishing through the mud as he ruts for yummy stuff below, the sow sprawled on her side, piglets scrambling over her for the best teat. I know, it's the rare pig who lives that sort of life these days, but I'm a city girl and I like to pretend that until the click of the stun gun, my pork chop was having an A-OK sort of day. Read more. I get to Rick Perry, really.

A picture is worth . . .

susan — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 22:06:50 -0500

Yessssss!: For lease sign in Norm Coleman's empty senate office

Don't count your senators, but Norm's St. Paul office is sporting a hopeful sign.