Our next vice president?

Ladies and gentlemen, Alaska governor Sarah Palin.

Part 1:



Part 2:




Click on Part 1 or Part 2 to read the transcript of Katie Couric's interview with Palin.

Also, SNL parodied the interview:



Tina Fey's portrayal of Palin is spot on. The piece is more reenactment than parody until Palin asks for a lifeline. Amy Poehler, as Couric, asks Palin why, "when cornered, you get increasingly adorable."

Good question. I guess we'll find out Thursday.

Hockey Moms for Truth

The real Sarah Palin?



We report. You decide.

PS: You want to know the difference between icing and offsides? Lipstick. Just kidding, it has to do with line color, player position, and the puck. Icing occurs when the puck crosses two red lines. Offsides occurs when an offensive player enters the offensive zone before the puck. You can read the NHL rulebook for the details.

Fake chocolate = mockolate?!

What?!

Hershey's is apparently following the evolutionary steps of the Tootsie Roll, by becoming "chocolate."

Key quote in an article by Laura T. Coffey of NBC's TODAY show:

The removal of cocoa butter violates the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s definition of milk chocolate, so subtle changes have appeared on the labels of the Hershey’s products with altered recipes. Products once labeled “milk chocolate” now say “chocolate candy,” “made with chocolate” or “chocolatey.”

(Thanks to Andrew Sullivan for the tip.)

Dirty Sestina

Dirty Sestina would be a great band name. It references the poetic form sestina which features sestets and repeating words. The poem ends with a three line tercet. University of Northern Iowa professor Vince Gotera offers a brief explanation and example of the sestina on his website.

PS: The picture is Sestina flatware, by Oneida.

Training Camp

At long last, the Blue Jackets (and the 29 other teams in the NHL) have begun training camp. Rick Nash will wear the captain's "C" for the CBJ as they head into their eighth season of competition. Thus far, the playoffs have eluded the Blue Jackets. Their shortcomings can be attributed to lack of talent, lack of leadership, and lack of identity. Since the long-overdue firing of deposed president/general manager/coach/dictator-for-life Doug MacLean, new GM Scott Howson and coach Ken Hitchcock have worked to find identity, leadership, and talent for the team.

One subtle area I would like to see the Blue Jackets address is defending their ice in warm-ups. I believe that if the Blue Jackets are to have success this season, they must take pride in their ice. The Blue Jackets must not let the opposition cross Center Ice in warm-ups (a serious affront to The Code). The Blue Jackets must be the last players to leave the ice in warm-ups, especially at home. While this may seem frivolous, defending one's ice and being the last person off the ice speaks to the tenacity of the team.

All summer, I've waited to hear the sounds of skate blades on ice, the clean crack of a stick passing a frozen puck. The puck drops in 18 days. Go Jackets.

NFL Marching Songs

WFMU's Beware of the Blog discovered a record of 13 NFL marching songs. It transferred them to .mp3 format so they can be enjoyed by all on the Interweb. Why 13? That was the number of teams in the NFL in 1960, when the album was produced. It includes my personal favorite, "Hi-O, Hi-O for Cleveland," though who knew that there was a "Football Polka"?

(Thanks to UniWatch for the tip.)

Things I'd like to see made on How It's Made

Binders.
Fireworks.
Hockey pucks.
Baseballs.
Golf balls.
Traffic lights.
Trophies.
Bike helmets.
Flower pots.
Shoelaces.
Shoes.
Reflectors (bikes or highways).
Bungee cords.
Rubber bands.
Condoms.
Socks.
Pantyhose.
Balloons. (But where do they make balloons?)

How It's Made. Best. Show. Ever.

PS: You can share your suggestions for things you'd like to see, too.