Weekend Tids and Bits

JACK FROST CAN NIP MORE THAN YOUR NOSE if you live in Alaska and decide to pose nude for the online Playgirl magazine, but 19-year-old Levi Johnston will probably have that base covered, if nothing else. Johnston is the father of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s grandchild. He entered the national spotlight when GOP presidential candidate John McCain announced then-Gov. Palin for the veep spot on his ticket and Palin announced that her daughter Bristol was pregnant by Johnston. McCain and Palin lost the election, Levi and Bristol lost interest in getting married, and now Playgirl readers will view Johnston losing his pants.

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YES, BUT THEY’RE OUR EIGHTH-CENTURY WHACKOS seems to be the emerging line in the Obama administration, which is floating the idea that perhaps the Taliban might be part of some future Afghanistan government. The U.S. invaded Afghanistan eight years ago, ousting the extreme Islamist Taliban because they might be giving aid and comfort to Al Qaeda terrorists. Eight-hundred-plus American body bags later, the Taliban still control 80 percent of their country. The trial balloons from the Obama administration float the notion that the Taliban would oppress only themselves, so we should let them while we continue our fight against Al Qaeda.

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YOU COULD BE AMERICA’S NEXT GREAT PUNDIT or you could have had one too many helpings of bean burritos, but the Washington Post is giving you a chance to find out in a contest that ends October 21. The deal is you write a pundit-like essay and a short pitch on why you should be chosen one. The entry form is here. Hint: Moderation in pursuit of audience is no virtue; extremism in pursuit of audience is no vice. And no, Rush Limbaugh didn’t say that – he and his fellow howlers just live it.

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SOCIAL SECURITY COLA IS STARTING TO FIZZ since it looks like there won’t be a Cost Of Living Adjustment boost in Social Security checks for the first time in 35 years. That’s because a recession-battered Consumer Price Index hasn’t increased enough to trigger the raise. It has increased enough to trigger the outrage of elderly advocate group AARP which is urging its membership in e-mails to remind Congress that the 41 million Social Security seniors want to see that increase. Congress, of course, will ignore the political implications of ticking off 41 million voters with the highest turnout percentages. And they lived happily ever after.

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Last Week’s Lessons:

· Give A Man A Fish and you feed him for a day, teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime, the old saw goes. But the print journalism folks who make a living putting yesterday’s news on tomorrow’s fishwrappers have reason to be nervous about the calls for universal broadband internet access at http://larryblaskosaid.blogspot.com/2009/10/fish-or-fish-wrapping-universal.html

· The Doofus Directorate may be the Obama administration’s answer to the twin questions of what the Federal Trade Commission does and what to do with it at http://larryblaskosaid.blogspot.com/2009/10/doofi-maybe-doofus-directorate.html

· War of Aggression Against The Moon? Plans to bomb the moon have some worried that beings living on the far side may bomb back, while others wonder if the Obama administration doesn’t have enough wars already in Iraq and Afghanistan at http://larryblaskosaid.blogspot.com/2009/10/when-in-doubt-bomb-it-out-first.html

· Traditional Media Cash Crisis Solved! Instead of going broke trying to sell rights to publish stuff, the media should get wise and sell rights to have stuff not published at http://larryblaskosaid.blogspot.com/2009/10/media-crisis-solved-buy-buy-journalism.html

Have a great weekend!

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