With the 2008 election only 48 days away, The Huffington Post announced they would begin using the largest font-size ever on their front page headlines.
1,000 pt.
Tired of their 60 pt font, editors at the HuffPost said they would get their stories across better if they used a larger font.
“Tomorrow we’re going with, 1,000 pt font-sizes announcing that John McCain is the devil. We tried it in 48 pt font and we convinced only 14,357 people. We need to convince more.”
Turn it up to 11.
Insiders say the new font-size will require two monitors to read.
“It’s stupid, but it’s definitely innovative,” said one expert via his Go Phone.
Arianna TheHuffingtonpost, the owner of the site, who coincidentally shares the same name as the website, said something at a press conference but nobody could understand a word.
I use my site to think/write out jokes/ideas on news, etc., but occasionally will make mention of something serious. Unfortunately, that has happened this evening, with the report that David Foster Wallace has died, apparently by suicide.
I admit I have not read everything of his, but did recently read the collection of essays in Consider the Lobster, which were excellent.
Consider: David Foster Wallace
He’ s probably best known for his large novel Infinite Jest – which I own but have yet to read yet. It’s just one of those books – you want to read, you hear it’s good, you buy it, but it’s so damn heavy. As someone who earned a MFA, has written very little, and who loves a good essay or novel, I appreciate very much what he did, and the fact that he was teaching English and writing in Southern California.
I don’t know enough about David Foster Wallace to even speculate the reasons for his passing. It’s unfortunate.
UPDATE: A colleague of David’s writes about him here at Huffington Post.
And here’s an interview of David on the Charlie Rose Show from 1997. Even if you’ve never read anything by David, watch it – they cover dozens of topics – film, writing, etc.
Another appearance here on Charlie Rose, with writers Mark Leyner and Jonathan Franzen, having a great discussion on books, reading, and the impact of culture on their writing.
ADDED 9/14/08: I just want to note how embarrassing it is, although not unexpected, that there is no mention of DFW’s passing on television. At least, I haven’t seen one mention of it on any of the major cable news shows – yet I’ve seen the stupid SNL clip from last night a thousand times in 3 hours. This is why people rely on the internet for news.
FINALLY, I want to add this, in light of this news – the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s website, which has useful information for anyone who needs help or knows someone who does, including the phone #1-800-273-TALK. Is it a guarantee they can help? No, it isn’t, but humor me and call if it you think you should.
Late Friday night, Delaware-not-Pennsylvania Senator and vice-presidential candidate Joe Biden complained to the press that absolutely nobody was investigating him. He admitted he was extremely disappointed that the McCain campaign had yet to send a team of lawyers to his home state to research his activities.
"I won't be ignored." Senator Joe Biden wants his time in the spotlight to make a gaffe.
“I have skeletons in my closet, people. I have a high IQ, so my skeletons are very smart. The closet is unlocked, too. Please, pick up the phone, find something out about me. I’m a baaad guy.”
Despite hundreds of hours of media spent on the Republican vice-presidential canddiate, Sarah Palin, Barack Obama’s choice has barely registered with the American voter.
“Give me time, and I promise, I will make a gaffe or say something so inappropriate that you’ll wonder why I’m not in prison. I’m a gaffe-making-machine – just turn me on!”
Biden said if needed, he would buy air time to reveal some of his awful decisions made while a U.S. Senator for over 30 years.
“I will pay to be smeared. That’s how serious I am about winning the vice-presidency.
“I’ve been here forever, and believe me, in what little I’ve done, there are plenty of scratch-your-head moments. Did you know I voted for the United States to bomb Canada during the Stanley Cup finals? I did. I’m a total f*ck up. Just look into it, for Chrissakes!”
Barack Obama couldn’t be reached for comment, according to his advisors. “He’s too busy emailing his suporters. Something John McCAin cannot do.”
In a brief interview Good Housekeeping Magazine this evening, vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin admitted that when ABC’s Charlie Gibson asked her about the Bush Doctrine, she was a little shocked.
Sarah Palin later clarified to Good Housekeeping her opinion on the "Bush" Doctrine.
“Honestly, I thought he was asking a very personal question, if you know what I mean. What I do down there, around my lady parts, is nobody’s business. It’s for me or my husband to know.”
When pressed about her personal grooming habits, Sarah offered a hint. “Let me just remind you – it gets cold in Alaska, and I like to keep all my body warm with what God gave me. That’s all I’m saying.”
Bush has become an important topic this campaign season
Others on the campaign have yet to be asked about the Bush Doctrine. Hillary? Michelle Obama?
Today, Barack Obama’s campaign unveiled an ad pointing out the fact that John McCain does not use email. OMG!
(Nevermind that John McCain cannot use a keyboard due to the injuries suffered as POW. Oops! I’ll leave that to the other sites to dissect)
Anyway, later the John McCain campaign, in response to the ad, released transcripts demonstrating that John McCain wasn’t big on email, but loved to IM.
Here, for example, was Senator McCain’s IM log from late 1999, to wife Cindy McCain:
McCain2000Prez4sure: yo, C, what’s up?
AZGirl54: not much. just chillin’. getting my eBay fix.
McCain200Prez4sure: Sweet. Hey, have U talked 2 the kidz?
AZGirl54: oh, wait. BRB.
McCain200Prez4sure: OK.
AZGirl54: I’m back. I talked 2 kids y-day.
McCain200Prez4sure: R they coming 2 the rally next week?
AZGirl54: Just 1/2 of them.
McCain200Prez4sure: Which 1s?
AZGirl54: Does it matter?
McCain200Prez4sure: No. LOL.
AZGirl54: LOL. Ooh. I just won some dishes. Do we have a PayPal account, yet?
McCain200Prez4sure: We do 🙂
AZGirl54: Gr8.
McCain200Prez4sure: R U going 2 join the St8t Talk Xpress 2moro?
In Switzerland, underground scientists will hit the switch on their new-fangled machine that will accelerate particles around a 17 mile tunnel. This thing probably has one big-ass carbon footprint! Oh, and the purpose? To unlock some mysteries that have yet to be figured out, such as: whatever happened to Domino Pizza’s loveable character the Noid? And the how and why of Dane Cook. Also promised with this machine is the resetting of the Matrix, the place where we live in what seems to be a “real” environment. It was all documented in a three part documentary called The Matrix, Matrix Reloaded, and Matrix Revolutions. I recommend you go to your local library and check it out before the Architect gets his act together.
One of the universe's biggest mysteries, to be solved by the Large Hadron Collider (in 30 minutes or less, of course)
Some people warn that the Large Hadron Collider could cause irreversible damage, like forming a little tiny, Chihuahua-size black hole that could possibly grow and grow and suck up the whole big planet Earth. I call these alarmists “optimists.” How friggin’ cool would that be? To be part of Generation Black Hole – the Last Thrill Ride! It’s something you can tell your grandkids about, if you weren’t all squishy and plasmatic nothingness floating through space.
MARK WIBERG 