A blogger's olio

1. Greetings to visitors from Shakespeare's Sister! Coffee and crullers are on the side table. In case there's any lingering confusion, yes, that was "social satire"--although I prefer the more modest term "wry, self-deprecating irony." Don't be strangers.

2. Not being a real fan of the Don Knotts oeuvre, I let several references to this over the last few days go unexplored. My loss; it's perversely funny and very well done. I particularly admire it when someone puts so much attention to detail into something so . . . obscure.

3. It appears my prediction--that the "legit media" would wait for the stories about Bush's drinking and isolation get kicked around in the fringe media and the blog world long enough, then cover it as a story about what the alternative media are saying--might be bearing fruit. MSNBC has it now. Next they'll mention the Drudge Report, then Atrios, then . . . perhaps they'll quit covering the story-about-the-story and cover the actual story. Maybe.

A waggle of the flippers to Darley for catching this one.

4. Survival of the fittest ain't always pretty. But it can be wickedly funny, it seems. This letter was published in last Sunday's San Luis Obispo Tribune:

Some don't need vaccine

Recent news about the avian flu virus has raised concerns from main street to the White House. There is the possibility, even likelihood, that the virus will mutate into a form that can more easily infect humans.

As the president pointed out, a vaccine cannot be made until this evolution occurs.

This raises the concern that it may be impossible to create enough vaccine fast enough to protect all our citizens. But there is hope.

Gallup polls tell us that up to 45 percent of Americans don't believe in evolution. Since random mutation is the engine of evolution, these same people must believe that the virus cannot mutate.

Therefore, there is no need to waste vaccine on folks who believe there is no possible threat to themselves -- thus leaving a sufficient supply for the rest of us. Perhaps the president, given his doubts about evolution, may wish to demonstrate his leadership by foregoing vaccination.

This approach has added benefits. Polls also tell us that disbelief in evolution is more pronounced among the less educated, the poor and conservatives. If the anti-evolutionists among these groups were to opt out of vaccination then, through immediate deaths and natural selection, we would reduce poverty, raise educational attainment and become a more progressive society.

Steve Anderson

Props to Jim for passing that one along.