It only hurts when I laugh

There’s still a little room for humor in the health care debate. Gail Collins:

Thanks to the health care protests over the past week, the nation seems to have come to a fragile consensus on a few critical issues. For instance, government-run death panels — not good. And, Nazis — nobody likes them.

Interestingly, we do not have any agreement at all on the question of whether it is a good plan to bring a gun to a gathering of angry and overwrought people. To be honest, I thought we might be able to nail this one down.

But no.

And Ann Lamott:

This death panel of yours will require people of sensitivity, fairness, efficiency and patience. And that is why I would like to volunteer to serve: I am fair, fast and fun. Mr. President, I am at your service.

You just couldn’t make this up

It would probably seem obvious to you, if you thought about it, that our US elected officials travel under a cloak of secrecy when going to places like Iraq.  As in nobody knows they’re coming until they’re there, etc.  Right?  Right.  

So check this out.  The top Republican on the House intelligence committee, Pete Hoekstra, goes to Iraq–and tweets the whole darned thing!  ”Just landed in Baghdad,” and “headed to new U.S. embassy” were among the highlights.

I know what you’re thinking!  It’s unbelievable!  There’s a Republican congressman who knows what twitter is?

The thousand injuries of Fortunato

For weeks the area just outside my office door has been undergoing remodeling. And I do mean right outside my door. Sometimes the noise is really disturbing. Just the other day one of my office mates was remarking how impossible it was to get any work done.

“Oh, I know,” I said. “But you don’t know the half of it. Apparently there have been some changes to the remodeling plans.”

“Really?” he asked. “What changes?”

“Well, did you ever read The Cask of Amontillado?”