October 8, 2008

Today’s SNL suggestion

Filed under: Politics — Diane @ 6:01 pm

Can anyone get Chevy Chase onto Weekend Update to say: “This just in: Barack Obama is still black!”

That should make it easier on the McCain/Palin crowd.

October 2, 2008

Tonight’s VP Debate Drinking Game

Filed under: Politics — Diane @ 10:57 am

I won’t be able to watch the VP Debate—I’m going to be working over at the Foothill New Works Festival (seats still available!). If you’re going to be watching the debates and making a drinking game out of it, you need to prepare ahead of time, however. So here are a few ideas:

The Number One Rule: More important than having lots of coffee on hand, have lots of water available, to flush the alcohol out of your system. All coffee does is make you a wide-awake drunk.

Now, on to the game:

  • If you want to compare Palin to Tina Fey in some way: 1 sip.
  • If you manage not to say it out loud: 2 sips.
  • If Gwen Ifill then proceeds to make the same comparison: chug.
  • If you look at your watch while Biden’s speaking: 1 sip.
  • If you don’t even wear a watch and you do it anyhow: 1 sip.
  • If you’re temporarily blinded by the whiteness of Biden’s teeth: 1 sip.
  • If Palin manages a long answer with no factual content whatsoever: 1 sip.
  • If Palin manages a long answer with complete sentences: 2 sips.
  • If McCain comes out on the stage and answers for Palin: chug.
  • “Experience”: 1 sip.
  • “Fresh ideas”: 1 sip.
  • “Amtrak”: 1 sip.
  • “Bridge to Nowhere”: 2 sips.

    (Oh my God — I started listening in my car and I’m just stunned.)

  • “Maverick”: 1 sip and roll eyes.
  • “Kids”, “Baseball game”, or “Hockey”: 1 sip and a joke.
  • “Cut taxes as mayor and/or governor”: Yell loudly, “20 million dollar debt” and/or “Oil company windfall gain!”

  • September 26, 2008

    Debate drinking game

    Filed under: Politics — Diane @ 6:09 pm

    Obama - “Look” - 1 sip
    Mccain - “My friends” - 1 sip
    “Change” - jumping jack (to burn off alcohol)
    Obama - “Are you f’ing kidding me?” - 2 sips
    McCain - “POW” - chug
    McCain - out and out lie - 1 sip (trying to pace ourselves)
    McCain - mentioning Sarah Palin - 2 sips
    Obama - 3 syllable word - 1 sip
    “Iraq” - run around the house lift glass, yell
    Obama - “John is right” - Diane screams
    McCain - “terrorist organizations” - laugh hysterically
    McCain - “Look” - 1 sip
    Wondering who these corky CNN graders are - 1 sip
    McCain - “Miss Congeniality” - 1 sip (max 3 sips)
    Obama - induces McCain rage - 1 sip
    Obama gets to 50 points with CNN analysts - Craig and Erik jam
    McCain - “Maverick” - scream in disbelief

    (We are so far behind real-time in this debate and I’m already toasty.)

    McCain - mentions where he’s been or who he’s met - drink coffee
    McCain - “What Senator Obama doesn’t understand” - throw tissues at TV wish we’d kept track of how many times that one had come up

    HE ACTUALLY BROUGHT UP BEING A POW. Unfuckingbelievable.

    September 24, 2008

    About canceling that debate

    Filed under: Politics — Diane @ 5:56 pm

    As everyone knows, elections didn’t grind to a halt in 1864 or 1944.

    Everyone knows what “suspending the campaign” means, most of the time, anyway. (Is this the only time that it doesn’t necessarily mean “dropping out of the race”?)

    This maneuver appears to be directed toward one thing and one thing only: getting McCain out of Friday’s debate. And, by extension, postponing or canceling the Veep debate.

    And I think there can really only be one reason to take this kind of PR hit, rather than face a live, unscripted appearance: there is something seriously wrong win John McCain right now. Whether it’s the rumored mild stroke on his left side or the Alzheimers that many people suspect, something massive is up big enough to warrant his campaign going forward with this nonsense about suspending the campaign until the crisis is over.

    (Um, weren’t the “fundamentals” sound, last week? Now it’s a campaign stopping crisis?)

    Release those damn medical records, McCain.

    September 21, 2008

    The weird side of Googling yourself

    Filed under: All About Moi — Diane @ 8:47 am

    (Or getting Google alerts for your name, whatever.)

    Apparently Diane Patterson is a character in a new book. She’s a vampire! And she looks like this.

    For the record, I do not.

    September 12, 2008

    Need a warning label

    Filed under: All About Moi, Writing — Diane @ 5:29 pm

    While waiting to pick up the kids today, I had an unusual conversation. More accurately, I was on the receiving end of a monologue about the state of this person’s marriage, their net worth, court orders in their possession concerning child custody, what type of person they like to date, and did I mention net worth? Repeatedly?

    I didn’t say anything and I guess I didn’t need to. But should I have? I wonder which response would have worked for me:

    1) “You really need someone better qualified than me to help you work through this traumatic situation”; or

    2) “Just so you know right off the bat, I’m a writer, and wow am I using this.”

    September 9, 2008

    Blossom rot

    Filed under: Gardening — Diane @ 3:52 pm

    Have definitively diagnosed problems with the tomatoes I finally got to grow as “blossom rot.” So, no home-grown tomatoes for us this year. Next year: will plant them in pure calcium.

    I suspected I might be the world’s worst gardener, and even growing my plants in container gardens I managed to do this. Alas. Well, I will learn for next year.

    My green beans were tasty though.

    September 8, 2008

    Much more interesting

    Filed under: All About Moi, Darin, Health and fitness, Kids, Movies, Politics, Theater — Diane @ 11:39 am

    Got an unusual comment from Christina the other day:

    You were a joy to read… before twitter. Now, not so much. Seriously, have you not better things to say?

    Well, the Twitter is basically a way to have something to say, frankly. I suppose everyone who’d be interested in my tweets have probably added me to their own Twitter lists, so I could probably stop posting them here. (I’m DianePatterson on Twitter, btw, in case you’re looking for me.)

    But to answer your question: at the moment I haven’t found a particular raison d’être for this blog. Many of the things I’d like to talk about really aren’t fair for me to talk about much (for instance: my kids—yeah, I know, I win some kind of Mom-points for finally figuring that out) and others are just…well…

    (more…)

    September 6, 2008

    Twitter Updates for 2008-09-06

    Filed under: Twitters — Diane @ 11:59 pm
    • Funny comment to Jon Carroll’s latest column: “There are hypocrites on the left, but it doesn’t appear to be the theme of their movement.” #
    • The boy has 3 birthday parties this weekend. None of them are for him, or I’d really be exhausted. #
    • Having a cinnamon dolce latte for first time in many weeks. It is much, much too sweet. I suspect it may get a DNF. #
    • Has seen five people today talking on their cell phones hands-full. I guess the honeymoon with the new law is over! #
    • Taking a brief time out from birthdays. #

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    September 5, 2008

    Twitter Updates for 2008-09-05

    Filed under: Twitters — Diane @ 11:59 pm
    • Just ate 6.5 ounces of sushi-grade tuna for lunch. $10. Yum. #

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