Random Stuff To Read On A Boring Saturday

If you're like me, you'd rather be warm and bored than entertained and freezing (such are the choices one has to make when living in Chicago). Without further ado, here's some random stuff on the internet that has caught my eye in the last 24 hours or so.

The British try to define themselves, to hilarious results.

Detractors spread the rumor that the government was looking not for a considered statement, but for a snappy, pithy “liberté, égalité, fraternité”-style slogan that it could plaster across government buildings in a kind of branding exercise.

Nor did it help when The Times of London cynically sponsored a British motto-writing contest for its readers.

The readers’ suggestions included “Dipso, Fatso, Bingo, Asbo, Tesco” (Asbo stands for “anti-social behavior order,” a law-enforcement tool, while Tesco is a ubiquitous supermarket chain); “Once Mighty Empire, Slightly Used”; “At Least We’re Not French”; and “We Apologize for the Inconvenience.” The winner, favored by 20.9 percent of the readers, was “No Motto Please, We’re British.”

Pakistani troops on the offensive in the tribal areas.

A Guardian writer pronounces The Wire the greatest television show ever. My vote would actually go to The Sopranos, with South Park a close second.

Fox News' John Gibson makes fun of Heath Ledger for dying. Stay classy, guys. Stay classy.

I don't normally agree with the editorial writers of The Economist, but they're spot on here. (It's on the Clintons and Obama).

Jimmy Carter lets people know what he's thinking (without a doubt, the funniest thing I've read in months).

Imran Khan and Sherry Rehman tour Washington (now that's a great title for a movie). Imran talked about judges and the differences between cricket and baseball. Sherry Rehman was "polished," "impressive," and "spoke in perfect cadences". You know what, sometimes I think the Daily Times would like to see the PPP in power. It's just one of those hunches, you know? Anyway, at least I got introduced to a new term: "reptiles of the press".