Kathleen's Mixed Bag Friday

It's been such a newsy week. The only way you can get a real perspective on what's been going on and the relative importance of events is on "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report." Not that the big stuff hasn't been covered on the "real" news and information programs, but there's just so much. Thanks to DS and CR for the highlights. For example, did you know that one of the major news sources located Bubbles, Michael's famous chimp, at an animal shelter in FL? And Brian Williams toured the Neverland mansion and told us what used to be in this corner, on that wall.

And you knew that Jon Stewart would come up with a cover for the Luv Guv's story. This isn't it--found this one on Flickr--but there was a photoshopped beauty on DS Thursday night. It really was funny, but it isn't up on the site at this writing. You also knew that the comparison of the now infamous e-mails to Harlequin novels was inevitable. I googled Sanford romance novel, just out of curiosity. Tons. Interestingly enough, many bloggers point out that our fiction is far better than the guv's "love story." Repeated mention is made of the fact that he had a book deal in the works, but the publisher backed out. Of course, the deal was for a political tome. Sadly, the offers for his personal story, his wife's, and his girlfriend's are undoubtedly already piling up. Seriously. Imagine the book tours!

I watched the pilot for the new HBO half-hour series "Hung." Yes, that kind of hung. It's about a high school history teacher/BB coach, Ray, whose luck has been so bad lately that he attends one of those cheesy motivational seminars where participants are encouraged to figure out what their best "tool" is and how they might capitalize on on it. One of the other participants had a single but memorable encounter with Ray's biggest asset, and she offers to help him market it. Pilots aren't always the best indicator, but this one was pretty funny, so I'll tune in again. There's a Pimp Ray contest on the HBO website that might provide a bit of creative fun for a hot summer day.

Speaking of internet entertainment, here's one for the kids, courtesty of the Minnesota Zoo. It's called Who Pooped? (Are all kids of a certain age fascinated with the sight, smell and general hilarity associated with this bodily function? Or just the ones I know?) So the game, of course, it to match the animal with its excretion. Not only will the kids get a kick out of it, but poop identification is a useful life skill.

Our raised bed garden is coming along nicely. The tomatoes are as tall as Elton John, er, my grandson. The kids love to take the scissors to the lettuce and spinach and pluck a few onions for salad. That's all we're harvesting so far. After Michele's review of "Food Inc" I'm repeating the mantra often: This is how real food grows.

My bookend for today is the real thing. The bloggers and commentators who throw around the comparison between the Luv Guv and a Harlequin romance have not read Make Me Yours by Betina Krahn. I bought it ($3.74 at Target, mind you) this week with the intention of rewarding myself when I finish the WIP, but I couldn't wait. You'll love this one, folks. It's a delicious premise, wonderful characters, engaging dialogue, sparkling prose--such a treat!

Comments on the week that was? Summer projects in progress? Discoveries? Recommendations? Pitch something into the bag.